HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2020 Item 9, Grady
Wilbanks, Megan
From:John Grady <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Agenda item #9 - Council Compensation
Dear Mayor & Council members,
I urge that you vote 'No' on the proposed pay increase for council members and mayor and instead adopt
a reduced salary increase. Here's why ...
First, these positions are not meant to be (and hopefully never will be) one's full time occupation and sole
source of income. Thus, the salary offered should not be the determining factor in one's willingness to
serve on city council. To offer compensation that would be the compelling reason to run for city council or
mayor would be cost prohibitive. Rather, city council members and mayors of the past have mostly had
other occupations and some have been retired from the workforce. In both cases the reason for serving
on the city council has come from the desire to serve the city and community, not for the money offered
for serving. I hope this is how it shall remain.
Secondly, there are other perks and benefits to serving beyond salary, such as enrollment in a
comprehensive medical insurance plan, generous pension plan, and other perks. These benefits add
significant monetary value on top of the current salaries paid.
Third, your salaries are already the highest offered in the entire county of San Luis
Obispo! Additionally, many of the counties used to compare your present salaries to are quite wealthy
counties and thus tend to distort the argument for a salary increase - cities such as Santa Barbara,
Monterey, and Napa.
Fourth, the 7 member committee assigned with the task of evaluating your need for a salary increase
consists of 5 members appointed by yourselves. This sure makes the committee's proposal for a 63%
city council pay increase (and 46% mayoral salary increase) appear like a fait accompli.
Lastly, the mayor's current salary is already 26% greater than the median mayoral salary of the
comparison cities you have chosen to be compared with, while the council members salaries are
a mere 7% below the median salary of the nine comparison cities you have chosen.
I believe an appropriate and equitable pay increase, if you choose to adopt one, is a 7% pay increase for
city council members (bringing their salary to the median salary level of the 9 comparison cities selected)
with no increase for the mayor's salary (as it is already 26% greater than the median salary of the
comparison cities).
I believe our unfunded pension liabilities, our infrastructure and housing needs, and addressing our
growing homeless population should all take first priority over the extravagant pay increases you are
considering.
Thank you.
John Grady
San Luis Obispo
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