Top County Officials Get Pay Increases Averaging 7%

In a move to bring salaries in line with comparable positions statewide, Orange County supervisors have approved raises averaging 7% for top county executives and elected officials.

William A. Baker, Community Services Agency director, and Sheriff-Coroner Brad Gates received the largest increases, 11.6% and 11.4%, respectively.

Baker will receive a yearly salary of $65,832. He oversees a potpourri of operations from the county’s Housing Authority to senior services, employment training and the public guardian’s office. Gates’ salary will jump to $88,026.

County Administrative Officer Larry Parrish received the next largest hike, 10%, bringing his salary to $99,008 and making him the highest-paid official in county government. Supervisors, pleased with his performance during his first year on the job, have recommended a special bonus of $5,000.

John Sibley, director of employee relations, said Thursday that those raises were determined after the consulting firm of Arthur Young made a yearlong study of salaries paid to others in comparable jobs. Performance reviews also were considered by the Board of Supervisors.

Salaries Competitive

The survey found that salaries paid to Orange County government employees were generally competitive and likely to attract top talent, but the firm recommended some adjustment in middle-management pay schedules.

Parrish’s salary, Sibley noted, now ranks about fourth in the state among county administrative officers.

Annual raises for other county executives and elected officials ranged from 2.5% to 8.5%.

The next-highest-paid county officials are Dist. Atty. Cecil Hicks, whose office is elective, and County Counsel Adrian Kuyper, who is appointed. Both received 7% increases to $94,203.

Murray Storm, director of the Environmental Management Agency, received a 2.5% increase. But when added to large increases in recent years, the appointed head of Orange County’s agency for land-use planning, flood control, public works and recreation is the fourth highest paid at $90,251.

Among elected officials, Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron received a 7% increase to $77,875. County Assessor Brad L. Jacobs and Auditor-Controller Steven E. Lewis also received 7% increases, bringing their salaries to $75,878.40.

Clerk Gets 8%

Newly elected County Clerk Gary Granville received an 8% hike to $61,568, while County Recorder Lee Branch, who until recently served as both clerk and recorder, received a 2.5% raise to $60,902.

Among appointed top executives, Health Care Agency Director Tom Uram received a 7% raise to $85,613 and General Services Agency Director R.A. (Bert) Scott received an 8% hike to $82,368.

Fire Services Director Larry J. Holms, Personnel Director Russ Patton and Chief Probation Officer Michael Schumacher received 8.5% raises, bringing their salaries to $76,939.

Public Defender Ron Butler received a 2.5% raise to $75,212.80, making him about the fourth-highest-paid administrator of a public defender’s office in the state, Sibley said.

John Wayne Airport Manager George Rebella received a 5.5% increase to $71,739 and Agricultural Commissioner William Fitchen received a 4.5% hike to $54,454.