SANTA ANA : 2 Trustees Denounce Chancellor’s Raise
The Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees voted in favor of a $5,500 pay raise to Chancellor Robert D. Jensen this week, but two board members denounced the decision as too costly.
The raise brings Jensen’s annual salary to $102,980. Trustees Charles (Pete) Maddox and Brian E. Conley said they objected to the increased salary because of financial burdens on the district. They added that their opposition was not based on Jensen’s job performance.
“There’s not a lot of question about his effectiveness as chancellor,” Maddox said. “It’s merely a question of economics. We are headed towards some really tough economic times, and we are all going to have to bite the bullet.”
Board President Shirley Ralston defended the pay raise, which she said is consistent with the cost-of-living adjustment given to all faculty members.
“Everyone else got the same cost-of-living adjustment, so why shouldn’t the chancellor be included?” Ralston said. “He is one of the best chancellors in the state, and when you don’t give him a simple cost-of-living raise, that sends a message.”
Jensen, who has been chancellor of the district since 1984, has a four-year contract that expires in 1994.
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