HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2020 Item 9, Borchard
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Laura Borchard <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Council Meeting Agenda Item - Feb.4, 2019
Mayor Harmon and Council Members,
I strongly oppose the Council Compensation Committee's recommendation to substantially increase the
mayoral and council members' compensation.
The increase is obscene to many who work for public and private
enterprise and would never see this kind of a large increase in their
salary. Serving the city as a council member and or mayor has always
been a public service and an honor to serve without significant pay. It
demonstrates a dedication to a city we all love without having to be
paid to do so. This would change the nature and original intent of
these positions in a city that hasn't really grown in size much (approx.
45,000+ to approx. 47, 000+) since 2010. This small increase in
population doesn't seem to justify a 63% and/or 46% increase in
compensation. If you truly believe this large increase is merited, I
believe this issue should be placed on the November ballot and let the
voters decide.
I feel the process in selecting the Compensation Committee was flawed.
Residents should have been able to apply for the committee and there
should have been a third party choosing the committee members to assure
a non-biased recommendation. By the council choosing some of their
friends and supporters, it has the appearance of impropriety, even if
there isn't any. Also, it appears to me, and others weighing in on this
issue, that some of the cities used in the comparison by the Committee
are not really comparable to SLO and that some were chosen to merely
raise the average to justify this large compensation increase
recommendation. Again, this has the appearance of a flawed process.
Further, I've been reading the Agenda Correspondence Letters posted on
the City's website, and I note that some do not live in the City of SLO
and some don't even designate where they live. If you're going to make
your decision based on Agenda Correspondence, then I believe SLO
residents should be given more weight in this matter than those who
don't live in the city.
Thank you.
Laura Borchard
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