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Alameda County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
Measure W
Limit Future Mayor/Council Salary Increases
City of Livermore

Ordinance - Majority Approval Required

Pass: 16848 / 80.06% Yes votes ...... 4195 / 19.94% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Dec 28 11:38am, 100.00% of Precincts Reporting (54/54)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall the ordinance restricting future increases in the monthly compensation for the mayor and council members to the lesser of either the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the San Francisco Bay Area from the prior election cycle or 5% of the then existing compensation be adopted?

Impartial Analysis from Livermore City Attorney
EXISTING LAW

The California Government Code authorizes the mayor and council members for any city in California to be compensated for their service. The Code also allows the city council to increase the compensation up to a maximum of 5% a year for each year that has passed since the last change. For example, if the compensation has not been changed for 2 years, the California Government Code would allow the city council to increase the compensation by up to 10% (2 years x 5% per year = 10%). The Code also allows the city council to provide the mayor with additional compensation besides what the mayor receives as a council member.

In Livermore, commencing with the new term of office the monthly compensation for the council members will be $1,070, and the total monthly compensation for the mayor, including the additional compensation, will be $1,490.

The California Government Code allows the city council and the voters to adopt more restrictive limits on future increases to the compensation for the mayor and council members.

THIS MEASURE

The measure is an ordinance that is more restrictive than the California Government Code and imposes additional limits on the Livermore City Council's ability to increase the compensation for the mayor and council members.

If approved, the ordinance would:

1. Limit future increases in the monthly compensation for the mayor and council members to the lesser of the change in inflation since the last election or 5%; and,

2. Only authorize a single increase before each new term of office commences.

For example, if the Livermore City Council has not increased its compensation for 2 years and the change in inflation in the designated consumer price index since the last election is 3%, the ordinance would only allow their compensation to be increased by 3% when the next term commences, rather than the 10% increase that would otherwise be allowed by the California Government Code.

If approved, the Livermore City Council is also prohibited from amending or repealing the ordinance without further voter approval.

This measure is placed on the ballot by the City Council for the City of Livermore.

/s Jason R. Alcala
Livermore City Attorney

  News and Analysis

The Independent

Measures W and X deal with Council pay
October 24, 2014
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Arguments For Measure W Arguments Against Measure W
Currently, Council members receive $1,070 per month and the Mayor receives $1490 per month. There have been no increases in Council compensation for over four years. Under California Government Code, the Livermore City Council can enact raises in their compensation or monthly stipend by 5% per year, for each year since the last increase. Any increase in compensation does not take effect for the current Council but only for the Council following the subsequent election.

This initiative, which was placed on the ballot by the City Council, makes two significant changes designed to limit the ability of future Councils to raise the monthly stipend they receive for their time and service. First, this initiative prevents future Councils from "catching up" from prior election cycles in which no raises were given by limiting raises to only the current election cycle. Second, any raises will be limited to either the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the current cycle or 5%, whichever is less, instead of just the current 5% limit. We, the undersigned members of the City Council, urge your vote on this initiative.

Submitted of behalf of the Livermore City Council:

/s John Marchand, Mayor
/s Bob Woerner, Vice Mayor
/s Stewart Gary, Councilmember
/s Doug Horner, Councilmember
/s Laureen Turner, Councilmember

No arguments against Measure W were submitted.

Full Text of Measure W
The people of the City of Livermore, California do ordain as follows:

Section 1. Ordinance. Subsection D is hereby added to Section 2.04.030 Compensation Limits for Mayor and Council Members in Chapter 2.04 City Council of the Livermore Municipal Code to read as follows:

2.04.030 Compensation Limits for Mayor and Council Members

D. Pursuant to Government Code section 36516, the compensation for the city council members and mayor may be increased up to a maximum of 5% for each calendar year since the last increase, effective when a new term of office for any city council member or mayor commences. However, Livermore desires to be more restrictive and hereby prohibits multi-year increases and only allows a single increase before any new term of office commences, and limits any such increase to the lesser of either the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the San Francisco Bay Area (W) from the prior election cycle or 5% of the then existing compensation. No part of this subsection shall be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people.

Section 2. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be adopted if approved by the majority of qualified electors at the city's general municipal election held on November 4, 2014; and shall be effective ten (10) days following the date upon which the Livermore City Council declares by resolution the results from that election.

Section 3. Severability. If any part of this ordinance is declared invalid by a court, such invalidity shall not affect any of the remaining parts.


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