Flynn Calls for Fewer Perks, Higher Pay : Finances: The supervisor urges that board members’ wages be tied to those of Municipal Court judges. He doesn’t seek changes for other officials.

Ventura County Supervisor John K. Flynn on Thursday called for members of the Board of Supervisors to eliminate most of their financial perks but increase their base salaries by $17,778, to a total of $68,010 annually.

In an effort to defuse the controversy sparked by the county’s disclosure this week that its leaders are receiving large benefit packages on top of their base salaries, Flynn is calling for the board to cut its car allowances and eliminate its controversial longevity, vacation and education bonuses.

He is also asking that the supervisors be stripped of their ability to give themselves pay raises. Instead, Flynn said, any future salary increase should be linked to raises for Municipal Court judges, which are determined by the state.

Flynn said he is not asking for changes in the compensation packages of the chief administrative officer or the county’s six other elected officials, a decision that is drawing criticism from some members of the Ventura County Taxpayers Assn.

In addition, Flynn is requesting that the county continue its practice of paying the supervisors’ portions of Social Security, medical and retirement contributions--benefits that cost the county nearly $32,450 last year.

Overall, Flynn said he expects supervisors’ annual compensation--which ranges from $64,000 to $98,000--to stay about the same.

Assistant Auditor Thomas Mahon said he will try to determine today how much Flynn’s proposed changes will cost the county.

The board is scheduled to take action on Flynn’s proposal on Tuesday.

“The intent is to get this out of the hands of the board so they are not setting their own salaries,” Flynn said. “It’s also an effort to be more upfront about (compensation). The word perk has a bad connotation. It makes the public mad.”

Under Flynn’s proposal, supervisors’ pay would be based on 75% of that of Municipal Court judges, who earn $90,680 annually. He said San Diego County uses a similar method in determining the salary of its supervisors.

“It’s an effort to do the best thing upfront,” he said.

But Ken High, second vice president of the taxpayers’ association, said Flynn’s proposal does not go far enough.

“It’s a cop-out,” High said. “The fact that they are just dealing with the supervisors’ salary alone is merely the flea on the dog. They need to look at the entire compensation package for all the managers.”

The group’s president, Lindsay Nielson, agreed that the county needs to take a closer look at its payments to all top officials. However, he said he was pleased that Flynn was at least calling for changes in the supervisors’ compensation packages.

“Tying the salaries to those of the judges and eliminating perks that are a little less than defensible makes sense,” Nielson said. “They have highly responsible jobs and they ought to be paid well, but not in the ‘creative’ ways that we have seen.

“This is certainly a step in the right direction.”

Supervisors Maggie Kildee and Susan K. Lacey could not be reached for comment. Supervisor Vicky Howard said Thursday afternoon that she had not had a chance to review Flynn’s proposal, and Supervisor Maria VanderKolk said she found Flynn’s suggestions interesting.

“That it takes away the board’s responsibility is attractive in itself,” VanderKolk said. “It takes away the pain and the difficulty. It makes it much easier to lay out.

“This whole thing has been a fiasco.”

On Monday, the county revealed that 11 elected officials and the chief administrative officer received a total of more than $270,000 on top of their regular salaries last year in vacation, longevity and education benefits and thousands of dollars more in other financial perks.

The biggest benefit for officials was an annual lump-sum payment called in-lieu-of-vacation pay. Until Sept. 15, when it was cut by 50%, the benefit added seven weeks’ pay to their compensation packages.

Most of the supervisors received $11,855 to $13,137 for the vacation benefit in each of the past two years, on top of their base salaries of $50,232. In addition, veteran supervisors Flynn, Kildee and Lacey received “longevity incentive” benefits ranging from $3,700 to $4,389 last year because of their tenure in office. Newly elected supervisors VanderKolk and Howard do not yet qualify for the bonus.

Other benefits crafted into complex pay packages for the supervisors, Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg and other elected officials pushed their total income significantly over their base pay.

Wittenberg and all but one of the elected officials also received $6,000 annually in car allowances. Kildee received $5,620 based on county mileage on her leased automobile.

County Pay Package for Board of Supervisors

1991 1991 Total Proposed Proposed New Base Pay Compensation Base Pay Benefit Package John K. Flynn $50,232.00 $91,490.17 $68,010 Unknown Susan K. Lacey $50,232.00 $85,769.05 $68,010 Unknown Maria E. VanderKolk* $48,106.80 $64,792.05 $68,010 Unknown Maggie Kildee $50,232.00 $97,859.83 $68,010 Unknown Vicky Howard* $48,106.80 $64,792.05 $68,010 Unknown

* VanderKolk and Howard did not join the board until January, 1991, and were not eligible for full pay and benefits.