Anaheim Council Triples Members’ Salaries by 3-1 Vote

After a sometimes heated debate about what constitutes just compensation for serving the county’s largest city, Anaheim City Council members voted Tuesday to pay themselves extra fees for serving on two city agencies, an action that triples their current salaries.

The 3-to-1 vote was taken before a sparse City Hall audience, but residents who spoke on the issue were unanimous in their disapproval of the action.

In voting for the fees, Mayor Ben Bay and Councilmen Fred Hunter and William Ehrle asserted that council members are woefully underpaid for time spent serving on various city agencies and argued that the raise would attract younger people to run for City Council seats.

At one point Hunter called the council, which has several retired members, a “senior citizens’ retired social club,” prompting groans from the audience.

Councilwoman Miriam Kaywood charged that the action was an attempt to bypass the City Charter, which requires that proposed salary increases be placed on the ballot for a public vote.

“I’m surprised, shocked and outraged at this attempt to bypass the City Charter,” Kaywood said. “It’s an attempt to bypass the voters. No one can claim that he didn’t know how much this job paid before he ran for office.”

Councilman Irv Pickler was out of town and did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.

Charter Pay Provisions

Under provisions of the charter, adopted in 1964, council members receive $400 a month while the mayor receives a monthly salary of $800. Council members are also reimbursed for travel, entertainment and other expenses.

The five City Council members also sit as both the Redevelopment Agency and the Housing Authority before the weekly council meetings. Previously, council members had not received compensation as members of those agencies. Tuesday’s action establishes a $150 fee for each Redevelopment Agency meeting attended and a $50 fee for each Housing Authority meeting.

Monthly salaries would increase to $1,200 per month for council members and $1,600 per month for the mayor, if all meetings were attended.

City Atty. Jack L. White said the raise does not conflict with the charter because, under state law, council members may compensate themselves for serving on other city agencies.

Money for the extra fees will come from redevelopment and housing funds and not from the general fund, city officials said. The city has been plagued with a budget deficit of nearly $8 million and only recently adopted a budget plan that calls for reducing expenditures.

“These changes should have been made 10 years ago,” Bay said. “There is not a county commission or city agency where members are not compensated. It is ridiculous that people making policy decisions should make less than our lowest-paid employees.”

Tuesday’s action means that Anaheim’s council salaries will far surpass those of most other cities in the county. Santa Ana council members receive $125 per month, while the mayor receives $200 per month. The council members also receive $125 for Redevelopment Agency meetings they attend and $50 for Housing Authority meetings.

In Fullerton, council members receive $559 per month, the mayor $659 per month and all receive a monthly $100 car allowance. They receive $30 for attending Redevelopment Agency meetings.

The Irvine City Council recently increased its salary from $300 a month to $600 a month.

Many residents who spoke before the council on the issue said they agreed that council members were probably underpaid but criticized the council’s methods.

‘$400 a Month Is Outrageous’

“I think $400 a month is outrageous,” said Catherine Davison, 56. “But you all knew what it would be before you ran for office. I don’t like to see salaries tripled in this sneaky way.” Davison later suggested that the council’s action might come back to haunt them during election time.

But a leader of a citizens’ group that has opposed the council’s action on several issues in the past, agreed that higher council salaries might attract a “better crop” of candidates.

“It (Tuesday’s vote) may not look kosher--anytime you do something like this without taking it to the public will get you into trouble--but if it means getting a better candidate, it’s a positive outcome,” said Robert Zemel, president of the Anaheim Hills Citizens’ Coalition. “We don’t want people that are money-motivated, but $1,200 a month might produce a better crop to pick from.”