Council can't decide on a pay cut, so they boost their 'cafeteria plan' fringe benefits 13.4 percent
These odds and ends about local politics merit mention this week:
--Three proposals by City Council members to cut their $500 per month salaries by 10, 25 or 50 percent failed at a June 30 meeting, and a resolution to boost benefits in a city employee “cafeteria” plan that includes council members was adopted Aug. 17.
The June 30 session mainly dealt with the city’s budget for the new fiscal year. A motion by Jan Horton for a $50 cut won only two votes from Horton and Jim Winder, while John Anderson’s motion for a $125 trim also gained just two nods, from Anderson and Horton.
Anderson’s motion for a $250 reduction died without a second, as did Horton’s to cut a $36 monthly cell phone payment. A motion to pay the $30 per meeting Redevelopment Agency salary only “for those meetings where actual Redevelopment Agency business is discussed” won 3 (Anderson, Horton, Winder) to 2 (Nancy Rikel, Mark Schwing).
No motions were advanced to cut the $125 monthly PERS retirement payment for four council members or the $833 per month “cafeteria” benefit and $6,000 in life insurance for all five.
The Aug. 17 meeting agenda included resolutions on compensation for city employees, which includes council members. The “cafeteria” benefit, which can be used for a health plan, cash payment or deferred compensation, was raised to $945 monthly on a 5-0 vote.
--Yorba Linda Water District’s elected directors created a Citizens Advisory Committee when many residents criticized the district after the November 2008 fire. They selected one member, Phil Hawkins, to replace the late director Paul Armstrong earlier this year.
Hawkins is now seeking a full, four-year term on the Nov. 2 ballot, as are committee members Gary Melton and Robert Kiley. Also running are incumbents Bill Mills, a director 1985-87 and since 2002, and John Summerfield, a director since 2001.
Directors receive $150 per meeting and were paid a total $48,150 to attend 323 meetings in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Other perks: paid health for three directors, dental and vision for four, PERS for one and Social Security for four, costing $32,450 for 2010-11.
--Partisan party politics could play a role in this year’s council election. Mark Schwing, who lost a seat he held for 12 years on the county Republican Central Committee in last June’s primary, leaves in January, so he’ll be on board for 2010 endorsement decisions.
Schwing supports John Anderson and Tom Lindsey. Also promoting the pair is the North Orange County Conservative Coalition, which organized a well-attended “tea party” rally at the Community Center April 15.
Jan Horton supports Brenda McCune, who recently joined the 242-member Lincoln Club (annual dues $3,900), which often endorses local GOP candidates. Horton was registered Democratic when elected in 2006, but she told me she later switched to declined to state.
--Three proposals by City Council members to cut their $500 per month salaries by 10, 25 or 50 percent failed at a June 30 meeting, and a resolution to boost benefits in a city employee “cafeteria” plan that includes council members was adopted Aug. 17.
The June 30 session mainly dealt with the city’s budget for the new fiscal year. A motion by Jan Horton for a $50 cut won only two votes from Horton and Jim Winder, while John Anderson’s motion for a $125 trim also gained just two nods, from Anderson and Horton.
Anderson’s motion for a $250 reduction died without a second, as did Horton’s to cut a $36 monthly cell phone payment. A motion to pay the $30 per meeting Redevelopment Agency salary only “for those meetings where actual Redevelopment Agency business is discussed” won 3 (Anderson, Horton, Winder) to 2 (Nancy Rikel, Mark Schwing).
No motions were advanced to cut the $125 monthly PERS retirement payment for four council members or the $833 per month “cafeteria” benefit and $6,000 in life insurance for all five.
The Aug. 17 meeting agenda included resolutions on compensation for city employees, which includes council members. The “cafeteria” benefit, which can be used for a health plan, cash payment or deferred compensation, was raised to $945 monthly on a 5-0 vote.
--Yorba Linda Water District’s elected directors created a Citizens Advisory Committee when many residents criticized the district after the November 2008 fire. They selected one member, Phil Hawkins, to replace the late director Paul Armstrong earlier this year.
Hawkins is now seeking a full, four-year term on the Nov. 2 ballot, as are committee members Gary Melton and Robert Kiley. Also running are incumbents Bill Mills, a director 1985-87 and since 2002, and John Summerfield, a director since 2001.
Directors receive $150 per meeting and were paid a total $48,150 to attend 323 meetings in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Other perks: paid health for three directors, dental and vision for four, PERS for one and Social Security for four, costing $32,450 for 2010-11.
--Partisan party politics could play a role in this year’s council election. Mark Schwing, who lost a seat he held for 12 years on the county Republican Central Committee in last June’s primary, leaves in January, so he’ll be on board for 2010 endorsement decisions.
Schwing supports John Anderson and Tom Lindsey. Also promoting the pair is the North Orange County Conservative Coalition, which organized a well-attended “tea party” rally at the Community Center April 15.
Jan Horton supports Brenda McCune, who recently joined the 242-member Lincoln Club (annual dues $3,900), which often endorses local GOP candidates. Horton was registered Democratic when elected in 2006, but she told me she later switched to declined to state.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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