League of Women Voters of California
| ||||
 |
|
|||
|
Measure A Compensation of Board of Supervisors San Mateo County Charter Amendment (Majority Approval Required) 76,559 / 36.0% Yes votes ...... 136,210 / 64.0% No votes
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
||||
| ||||
| Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text | |||||
|
Shall the Charter of the County of San Mateo be amended to so that the compensation of members of the Board of Supervisors be set at an amount not greater than 80% compensation received by a Judge of the Superior Court?
This measure would amend the Charter regarding the setting of the salaries of members of the Board of Supervisors. Under this measure, the salary established by the Board could not be greater than eighty percent (80%) of the compensation received by a Judge of the Superior Court.
A "yes" vote on this measure would mean that the compensation of a member of the Board of Supervisors would be set by ordinance but could not be greater than 80% of the compensation received by a Judge of the Superior Court.
A "no" vote on this measure would mean that there would be no change in the manner in which salaries are set for members of the Board of Supervisors. This measure passes if a majority of those voting on the measure vote "yes." The Elections Official has a copy of the proposed amendment which can be provided by mail upon request at no cost. This request can be made by phone, mail or in person.
|
Events
San Francisco Chronicle
| ||||
| Arguments For Measure A | Arguments Against Measure A | ||
| The pay you receive should equal your work responsibilities. At one time being a County Supervisor was a part-time job. Today members of the Board of Supervisors work more than full-time. Their job is complicated and they are expected to make key decisions about a variety of issues that impact our quality of life.
Supervisors oversee a $1 Billion dollar public business with 4,800 employees. Supervisors direct a public health system that provided critical care to the sick. Supervisors are responsible for crucial programs in public safety, child welfare, and senior services. They make important decisions involving land use and the protection of our environmental resources. The job description for a Supervisor has expanded. Supervisors are increasingly involved in regional concerns - including transportation, housing, water resources, and air pollution - to protect the interests of our citizens. They fight on our behalf in Sacramento. A County Supervisor currently makes a base pay of $71,386 per year. Under rules adopted by the voters in 1992, annual pay increases are restricted. Only by action of the voters can an adjustment be made when responsibilities change. This Charter amendment proposes to allow County Supervisors to be paid up to a maximum of 80% of what a Superior Court Judge earns. The salary of a judge is set by the State legislature, so Board members could not control their maximum pay under this proposal. Most simply put - we have entrusted members of the Board of Supervisors to manage our largest, local public corporation. We should expect the best from these employees and we should give them pay equal to the work they do on our behalf.
/s/Gary Saunder
The law specifically forbids Supervisors from involving themselves directly in the day to day operation of the County. If the Supervisors are doing that, then they are breaking the law. That's not to say that they don't have an important job, but directly managing the county isn't one of them. Under the law Supervisors have specific duties. Approve a budget, set policy that is carried out by the County Manager and his staff, make appointments to county and regional commissions and appoint the County Manager and Counsel. Anything else the Supervisors do is at their own initiative. These duties hardly require a 50% raise without some type of study. The proponents of measure A give no logical reason why Supervisors should be paid 80% of what a Superior Court Judge earns, only that it would allow the state legislature to set the Board's salaries. Do you want the legislature setting Supervisor's salaries or the voters, taxpayers and residents of San Mateo County? Supervisors do deserve to have their salary reviewed regularly, and they may deserve an adjustment. But a $35,000 raise, without any study or research, and having future raises made by the state legislature just isn't the way to do it. Get the facts about measure A, call 368-7112.
/s/James Keegan
| There has been no research to determine what County Supervisors should earn. Instead our Supervisors want to base their pay on the salary of Santa Clara County Supervisors, among the highest paid in the State. Supervisors now paid well over $71,000 would be paid over $106,000 beginning January 2001.
Santa Clara County has over twice the population of San Mateo County, and is three times as large. Unlike San Mateo County, much of Santa Clara County is unincorporated. The board in Santa Clara County spends much more time providing service to unincorporated areas than does the board in San Mateo County. Unlike in San Mateo, the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors usually meets EVERY week, sometimes TWICE a week! Besides their salaries, Supervisors get a car allowance of almost $7,000 a year. Unlike most County employees, Supervisors receive free health, vision and dental insurance - a tax-free benefit of more than $3,500 a year. Supervisors receive pay for serving on various commissions. They may receive an extra $5,000 to $6,000 a year in addition to their basic salary. Supervisors are eligible for pensions that are based on their salary, but unlike regular County employees they make no contribution. This is a tax-free benefit of over $4,000. The cost of increased pensions because of this raise will be well over $1,000,000 based on the ages of the current Supervisors. Add these and other special benefits with the current salary and the proposed pay raise and you get a total well over $125,000 a year beginning in January 2001. This raise was proposed after the most recent Supervisors' election and at the last minute before the deadline to place items on the ballot; thereby insulating the Supervisors from negative fallout. Send a clear message! VOTE NO ON MEASURE A. Help defeat measure A call 368-7112.
/s/Les Kelting
This is a simple consideration. What should we pay for the full-time job being done by our County Supervisors? It's fair. County Supervisors have a complex job. Unlike other counties, our Supervisors are elected county-wide and have county-wide responsibilities. They represent all of the citizens of the county, not just those who live in their district. Other counties - including Alameda, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Napa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, and Ventura - tie the pay of a County Supervisor to the judges' salary. It's affordable. To fully implement this pay raise for all five members of the Board of Supervisors will not require any new taxes and can be done without detracting from county services. It's practical. We entrust our Supervisors with decisions that affect us all for years to come. Whether it is public safety, emergency medical response, or libraries - they do important work on our behalf and we should pay them fairly. It's time. We have not realigned the salaries of Board members since 1992. Much has changed since that time - their responsibilities, the complexity of the issues, and our cost of living. VOTE YES ON MEASURE A.
/s/Melvin E. Cohn
|
| Text for Measure A |
| SECTION 5. OF COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 03986
The complete text of the proposed amendment is as follows: That section 206(a)(5) of Article II of the Charter of the County of San Mateo be amended to read as follows: "Establish by ordinance or resolution the compensation of officers and employees and by ordinance the compensation of Supervisors, provided however that the compensation of a Supervisor shall not be greater than 80% of the compensation received by a Judge of the Superior Court." |
San Mateo Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: January 25, 2001 02:35
Smart Voter 2000 <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © 2000 League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.