Councilman Says No Thanks to Pay Raise : City government: Nate Holden donates salary increase from ethics reform package to Police Department for more foot patrols. His colleagues don’t seem impressed, especially by news conference held to announce the donation.

City Councilman Nate Holden may have thought he was scoring points Friday by donating his $12,000 pay raise to the Los Angeles Police Department for increased foot patrols. But to his colleagues on the council, Holden had thrown up a brick.

“Good for him,” snapped an annoyed Councilman Ernani Bernardi.

“I think Mr. Holden is, uh. . . . I think Mr. Holden can do whatever he wants to do with his money,” said Councilman Hal Bernson.

“I contribute generously to charity,” said Councilwoman Joy Picus, “but I don’t choose to have a press conference to talk about it.”

It was at a City Hall news conference that Holden broached the touchy topic of raises, announcing that he could see “no reason” to accept the money as long as the city was grappling with fiscal problems.

“If you never have it, you don’t miss it,” Holden told a small gathering of reporters. “I don’t live by what I don’t have.”

The raise was approved by voters last summer as part of Proposition H, a controversial ethics reform measure that boosted the pay of all council members, while restricting their outside income.

Under the measure, Holden’s pay was increased by $24,935, bringing his annual salary to $86,157. But after subtracting taxes and a 5% raise he would have received anyway, Holden said he was left with an extra $12,960.

Six months ago, he gave half of it to the city’s general fund. On Friday, he kicked in the other half with a check for $6,251. The council begrudgingly has agreed to transfer the money from the general fund to the Police Department’s overtime account, earmarked for use in Holden’s 10th District.

“I think it was nice of us to let him do it,” said Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, explaining that the transfer was unprecedented.

Cmdr. Larry Fetters certainly wasn’t complaining when he accepted Holden’s check. He said it would buy 64, six-hour foot patrol shifts.

“We certainly welcome any source of funding,” Fetters said when reporters asked if he hoped other council members would follow suit. “But I’m not here to put pressure, or twist arms.”

He needn’t have worried. Most council members said they were not disposed to part with the cash.

“I’m not as wealthy as Nate,” said Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, Proposition H’s most outspoken foe.

“I’ve got two kids in college,” explained Councilman Richard Alatorre.

Another councilman, who asked that his name not be used, said there were several independently wealthy members of the council who could have easily rejected all pay.

“They’re just cool enough not to make an issue of it,” he said.

But Holden, who is 61 and unmarried, said he was merely following his conscience.

“They just want to keep the money,” Holden said of his fellow lawmakers. “That’s their choice.”