Filner gave raises to seven employees in final weeks

SAN DIEGO -- In his final weeks as mayor, Bob Filner quietly gave generous raises to seven of his staff members.

The raises took effect as staff members were being interviewed by the city attorney’s office about the sexual harassment allegations that ultimately drove Filner to resign.

Three of the raises were trimmed by acting Mayor Todd Gloria, who took over when Filner’s resignation became effective Aug. 30.

Raises for the three lowest-paid employees were left to stand. A seventh staff member who received a raise is no longer employed by the city.

If the raises, first revealed Tuesday by KGTV Channel 10, had been allowed to remain for a year, they would have cost taxpayers a total of $86,000 a year.

Filner had boosted the salary of the director of binational affairs from $70,000 in July to $85,000 in August. Gloria returned the salary to $70,000.

The salary of a council liaison was boosted from $82,500 to $115,000. Gloria trimmed it to $95,000. The salary of the director of appointments and protocol was boosted from $50,000 to $65,000. Gloria trimmed it to $60,000.

Gloria left intact the salaries of three community-outreach representatives at $35,000. Their salaries in July had been $30,000 each.

“I respect the right of each administration to determine the value of its staff members,” Gloria said. “In the past few weeks, I have restructured the staff of the office of mayor to better accomplish the work of the city and to fit within the office budget.”

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tony.perry@latimes.com