Culver City : City Hall Perks Cut Urged

The Culver City Public Finance Advisory Committee, as part of a 31-point report released this week on maintaining the financial health of the city, has recommended that employees’ fringe benefits be reduced whenever possible during labor negotiations.

Benefits as a percentage of salary for Culver City employees average 44%; for police officers and firefighters, the figure is 52%. The average for the private sector is only 36%, according to the report.

The 12-member committee, headed by film industry executive Howard Welinsky, also recommended against across-the-board salary increases outside the collective bargaining process.

Last week, the City Council approved just such an increase--an across-the-board raise of 4.5%, which will be in addition to the regularly negotiated increases, for more than 300 employees. The raises, to be phased in over three years, are designed to make Culver City’s salary scale comparable to that of other nearby cities.

A few of the report’s other recommendations include:

* Creating a committee to study the amount of power the chief administrative officer should hold.

* Expanding “fee-for-service” charges for police, fire and paramedic services.

* Establishing formalized agreements with the city and county of Los Angeles to perform maintenance on facilities in Culver City or next to it.

The ad hoc committee was formed in March, 1989, to advise the council on short- and long-range financial policies and strategies, according to budget and finance administrator Robert Norquist.