Slashed to $50,000 : Mayor O’Connor Gets a Pay Cut at Last

It took some legal dexterity of the part of the San Diego city attorney’s office, but Mayor Maureen O’Connor finally had her salary reduced to $50,000 by the City Council on Monday.

In approving the lower wage, the City Council also affirmed an opinion by the city attorney’s office that future mayors are entitled to the full $55,000 salary O’Connor has decided to turn down.

“The salary will remain $50,000 so long as you are the mayor,” Assistant City Atty. Curtis Fitzpatrick told O’Connor. “If another person takes that office . . . the salary automatically goes back to $55,000.”

During her mayoral campaign, O’Connor promised that she would, if elected, forgo the new $55,000-a-year wage recommended by a salary-setting commission.

The mayor ran into complications, however, when Councilman Mike Gotch suggested that the city retain the higher salary but give O’Connor the option of accepting less money.

Last week, the city attorney’s office said such a compromise was not legally possible, explaining that, under city law, the office of mayor must be paid $55,000. A frustrated council asked the city attorney’s office to once again review the matter.

The solution outlined by Fitzpatrick on Monday involves an amendment to the salary ordinance that satisfies both O’Connor and Gotch.

Until the ordinance becomes law in 45 days or so, the mayor will continue to be paid at a $55,000-a-year rate. Where’s the extra $5,000 going? Councilwoman Judy McCarty wanted to know.

According to City Manager Sylvester Murray, the extra money is being placed in the mayor’s personal services account, which pays for such things as vacations and sick leave for the mayor’s staff.