Freeze Pay for Mayor, Council, Panel Says

The hours may be long, and the work is often arduous, but San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor and her City Council colleagues will have to wait two more years before they get pay raises.

The city’s Salary Setting Commission, a panel of civil service appointees, has determined that City Hall’s elected offices already pay enough to attract competent candidates.

The commission, which meets every two years, finished its work Wednesday after eight weeks of meetings and has recommended freezing the salaries at $60,000 for the mayor and $45,000 for council members. The action ends a series of hefty annual raises for city legislators going back to 1982.

John Nersesian, personnel director for San Diego Trust and Savings Bank and vice chairman of the commission, said the panel decided to recommend the salary freezes after examining council members’ benefits, job duties and how their salaries compare with what elected officials are paid in other major U.S. cities.

Last Raise

“I was on the commission two years ago when, I think, there was the outrage and public cry when we increased (salaries) to their current level,” Nersesian said about the 1986 decision to hike salaries by $10,000 over two years. “We felt that that raise, at that time, was justifiable.”

But Nersesian said commission members decided on a freeze this time around because there had been “no appreciable change in (council) responsibilities and duties.”

In addition, the current salaries were enough to “provide a reasonable standard of living for incumbents” and “attract reasonable candidates” to the political offices, he said.

Besides their salaries, elected officials are eligible for annual fringe benefits that range from $18,408 for council members to $21,422 for the mayor. Those benefits include retirement payments, supplemental pension savings plans, a management compensation package, paid parking and a $5,124 yearly car allowance.

Reaction to Freeze

A spokesman for Councilwoman Judy McCarty on Thursday said his boss was mildly unhappy with the commission’s decision to freeze her salary.

“As anyone would be, she was disappointed that they didn’t see fit to give her a raise, as she’s worked particularly hard this year,” said John Kern, McCarty’s chief aide.

But other council members said they weren’t particularly bothered.

“I ran for office knowing what the salary would be, and that’s what I expected it to be,” said newly elected Councilman Bob Filner. “I’m budgeted for that and that’s fine.”

Councilman Wes Pratt said he was “content” with the freeze because “I simply assumed for four years my salary would be what was offered me when I ran.”

Both Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer and a spokesman for Mayor O’Connor said the freeze didn’t matter.

Independently wealthy, Wolfsheimer and O’Connor have been honoring campaign pledges by taking home less than their allowable salary. Wolfsheimer takes home $35,000 instead of $45,000; O’Connor pockets $50,000 instead of the $60,000 she is permitted.

Increases Over the Years

Ten years ago, the mayor and council members were paid much less for a job that has now become full-time and requires attending meetings that often run over into the evening.

In 1978, the mayor received $25,000 and council members received $17,000.

A succession of increases changed that, however. The mayor’s salary was raised to $31,250 in 1980; $36,625 in 1982; $42,000 in 1983; $46,000 in 1984; $50,000 in 1985; $55,000 in 1986, and $60,000 in 1987.

Council members experienced similar increases: to $21,500 in 1980; $25,750 in 1982; $30,000 in 1983; $32,500 in 1984; $35,000 in 1985; $40,000 in 1986, and $45,000 in 1987.

San Diego council members are among the highest paid of the five largest U.S. cities with a full-time council and a city manager form of government, a commission survey showed. San Jose pays its mayor more--$64,800--and its council members nearly the same--$44,800.

By comparison, full-time council members in Austin, Tex., are paid $30,014, the survey shows. The Austin mayor is paid $33,696.

Under the City Charter, the salary commission’s recommendation will go to the City Council for approval. The council is prohibited from raising the recommended salaries, and can only reject or reduce any raises that are suggested.