BREA : Council Considers Supplemental Pay

Brea is exploring whether to increase the salary and benefits offered to city employees who, as military reservists, are called to duty.

Under federal law, cities must pay such employees full salary for the first 30 days of leave for military duty and offer re-employment, vacation, sick leave and holiday privileges for 180 days.

Last week, the council directed the city’s finance committee to look into increasing the length of time a city employee would remain salaried and maintaining certain benefits not offered to active-duty reservists.

Brea proposed making up the difference between an employee’s base salary and the military salary, specialty assignment pay and housing subsidies. The supplemental pay would take effect after the federally mandated 30 days of full salary expires and would continue for the duration of the employee’s active duty.

The city also proposed continuing medical and dental benefits for employees and their families, and employees would continue to accrue retirement benefits during the active-duty period.

According to Scott Malkemus, personnel director, Brea has just one employee, a maintenance services worker, who is a reservist.

“But that could change,” Malkemus said. “This might encourage some employees to join the reserves.”

Council members were generally supportive of the plan, despite the increased cost to the city.

“Brea can say we stood up and were counted,” said Councilman Ron Isles.

The matter is expected to go before the council for approval at its Nov. 6 meeting, Malkemus said.