Hired Officials’ Perks Surpass $190,000 : Government: The 1991 figures reflect longevity, vacation, education and other benefits for 13 ranking county executives.

Thirteen of Ventura County’s top appointed executives received a total of nearly $190,000 in longevity, vacation and education pay last year in addition to thousands of dollars more in other perks, county officials disclosed Tuesday.

The release of the numbers, made public at the request of The Times, follows the county’s disclosure several weeks ago that top elected officials and the chief administrative officer received more than $270,000 last year for longevity, vacation and education pay on top of several other lucrative financial benefits.

The benefits packages are expected to be reviewed and revised by a citizens committee set up by the county Board of Supervisors after calls from the public to eliminate or decrease the perks.

The information made public Tuesday reveals that many of the county’s ranking hired officials--including the health care agency director and the social services director--received financial benefits of $30,000 to $40,000 each on top of their base salaries.

The largest added benefit for all of the top officials was the annual lump-sum payment called “in lieu of vacation pay.”

The top appointed officials, who are expected to keep time cards, receive six to 11 weeks of vacation and sick leave per year, depending on how long they have worked for the county. At the end of the year, they are allowed to sell back up to five weeks of the unused time.

In addition, the top appointed officials--like the elected officials--are eligible to receive a longevity bonus for staying with the county for more than five years. While the elected officials automatically receive the longevity bonus, the appointed administrators have the option of “banking” the pay and receiving it when they leave the county.

All of the top officials received $6,000 annual car allowances--plus 27 cents for each mile they drove on county business.

The numbers released Tuesday do not include the amount the county contributes for health insurance, life insurance and the basic county retirement program.

The numbers show that Health Care Agency Director Phillipp Wessels--who is responsible for overseeing the county hospital, health clinics and mental health system--was the second-highest-paid appointed official in the county. Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg was first, with a total compensation package of $183,782.84.

Wessels, paid a base salary of $112,008, received $146,379.80 after the financial benefits were included.

In addition to his salary, he received $12,388.06 for the vacation benefit and a $5,600 bonus under the county’s educational incentive program because he holds a master’s degree in business and health care management.

Wessels also received $10,383.74 in added benefits, which included the county’s contribution to his 401-K plan, money he received in lieu of medical coverage and the county’s pickup of his retirement contribution.

Wessels did not receive “longevity incentive” pay because he has only been with the county four years.

County Counsel James L. McBride, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Robert Hirtensteiner, Public Social Services Agency Director James E. Isom and Public Defender Kenneth I. Clayman all received compensation packages greater than $130,000 once all the financial benefits were crafted into their pay packages.

Public Works Director Art Goulet, who makes $106,626 in base pay, earned a total compensation package of $128,146.59. He decided to bank his longevity pay and use all his vacation time. However, he received $5,331.30 education pay.

Although some officials maintain that the benefits are necessary to keep the county’s top officials from taking more lucrative jobs elsewhere, members of an area taxpayers group say the perks are excessive.

On Tuesday, Ventura County Taxpayers Assn. Executive Director H. Jere Robings called on the county to cut the benefits.

“I think they are grossly overpaid,” Robings said. “I think the whole issue of the benefits and the perks has to be brought under control. As we see now, the disclosure of the supervisors’ pay (three weeks ago) was just the tip of the iceberg.”

Supervisor John K. Flynn defended the pay for the top county managers, saying they have difficult jobs and should be compensated accordingly. Officials noted that the top leaders have not received a pay raise in several years.

“I don’t think the numbers we are paying are too far out of line,” Flynn said. “If you consider Jim McBride, he is really running a large law firm. If you compare his job to someone in a big law firm, he is probably making less. I think we ought to pay them what they are worth.”

But he said he believes that the compensation packages of the elected officials should be reduced.

Until last month, when the benefit was cut by more the 50%, the 11 elected officials and the chief administrative officer automatically received seven weeks extra pay per year since they did not earn vacation time. However, they were allowed to set their own schedules and take off as much time as they pleased.

Flynn led the board in scaling back the vacation pay for elected officials to three weeks compensation instead of seven.

“Elected people are different, mainly because they are elected,” Flynn said. “People have an idea of an elected person running because they want to serve the public. The salary is not that important.”

A committee of nine prominent Ventura County residents--including a retired judge, two bank presidents and several business executives--will meet next month to review the salaries of the county’s top officials. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors gave final approval to setting up the pay panel.

Both Wessels and Goulet said they believe their pay packages are fair.

“It’s not outrageous,” said Wessels. “In fact, I think they are too low. I have not had any increase in three years. Zero. Nothing.

“I work for a living, just like everyone else. This is a very expensive area to live.”

Goulet said: “I think the panel will find we are not extravagantly paid. There are a whole lot of folks who think if you make $100,000 a year, you are overpaid. Well, I know a lot of other people who make $100,000 and they don’t work as hard as I do.”

County Counsel McBride received $16,001.97 for vacation pay on top of his $106,626 base salary. He also received $8,415 in other benefits, including the retirement pickup and the 401-K contribution--pushing his total pay package, including auto allowance, to $137,042.97. He did not receive an education bonus, since his position requires that he have a law degree.

Hirtensteiner, who is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the county, received a $3,229.46 vacation bonus and $8,396.60 for longevity pay, on top of his base pay of $101,478. He also received $3,551.86 in education pay. In all, he received $135,445.53.

Isom, who oversees the county’s welfare and social service system, received a total pay package of $131,508.17. That included $9,076.01 in vacation pay, $7,850.22 in longevity pay and $4,711.20 in education pay-- on top of his base salary of $94,224.

Public Defender Clayman, who received base pay of $99,008, cashed in on his unused vacation time for a benefit of $13,927.06. He also received $3,899.58 in longevity pay. He did not receive any education pay since his job requires that he hold a law degree.

County Personnel Director Ron Komers received a total pay package of $127,498.53. That included $9,397.86 in vacation pay, $3,747.53 in longevity pay and $4,485 in education pay. He also received $3,950.36 for textbook and tuition reimbursement.

General Services Agency Director Pete Pedroff, who oversees the county’s vast maintenance system, earned $122,927.57 in pay and added compensation. And Resource Management Agency Director Tom Berg, who is in charge of planning, waste management and environmental health, received $115,826.15

Fire Chief George Lund earned a total of $105,650.94 last year, while Sheila Gonzalez, who oversees the county’s court system, received a compensation package of $124,430.24.

Information Systems Director George E. Mathews earned a total of $114,405.37, and Library Services Director Dixie D. Adeniran earned $98,059.77 in base pay and added compensation.

So far this year, the county has spent about $118,500 on vacation buybacks and $65,500 on longevity pay for the 13 officials.

e county’s complicated system of perks was established in the mid-1980s, when the area enjoyed better financial times.

At first, the supervisors agreed to implement the system for appointed officials after Personnel Director Komers found that their salaries lagged behind those in other jurisdictions and private industry.

But the supervisors then quietly agreed to give the benefits to themselves and the other elected officials--in an effort to avoid the public controversy that would have resulted if they had opted for a pay increase, county sources said.

Until last month, the exact amounts the county was paying in extra benefits had been withheld, with officials citing privacy rights for the county’s leaders. But after The Times argued that compensation for the top officials should be open to public scrutiny, the officials agreed to release the figures.

An official for one of the largest county government unions suggested that supervisors should consider implementing a pay system that is free of perks but includes larger base salaries for the top leaders.

“I would certainly not like to see anyone who is working for wages have to suffer a reduction in compensation,” said Barry L. Hammitt, executive director of the Service Employees International Union. “I think a simpler, more honest system is probably more appropriate. At least everyone could sit down, look at their salary ordinance and know what they make.”

1991 Compensation Packages for County Executive Committee

In Lieu of Longevity Name Base Pay Vacation Pay pay Health Care Agency $112,008 $12,388 not eligible Director Phillipp Wessels County Counsel $106,626 $16,002 banked James L. McBride Public Works $106,626 $0 banked Director Art Goulet Asst. CAO $101,478 $3,229 $8,397 Robert Hirtensteiner Public Defender $99,008 $13,927 $3,900 Kenneth I. Clayman Fire Chief $79,332 $11,916 $6,828 George Lund Court Executive $95,590 $13,498 not eligible Officer Sheila Gonzalez Public Social Services $94,224 $9,076 $7,850 Agency Dir. James E.Isom Personnel $89,700 $9,398 $3,748 Director Ron Komers General Services $89,700 $14,015 banked Agency Director Pete Pedroff Resource Management $89,536 $0 $7,484 Agency Dir. Tom Berg Information Systems $87,516 $0 $6,594 Dir. George E. Mathews Library Services $79,274 $0 banked Director Dixie D. Adeniran

Auto Educational Other Total Allowance Incentive Benefits* Compensation Health Care Agency $6,000 $5,600 $10,384 Director Phillipp Wessels County Counsel $6,000 $0 $8,415 James L. McBride Public Works $6,000 $5,331 $10,189 Director Art Goulet Asst. CAO $6,000 $3,552 $12,7901 Robert Hirtensteiner Public Defender $6,000 $0 $8,548 Kenneth I. Clayman Fire Chief $0 $0 $7,576 George Lund Court Executive $6,000 $0 $9,342 Officer Sheila Gonzalez Public Social Services $6,000 $4,711 $9,647 Agency Dir. James E.Isom Personnel $6,000 $4,485 $14,168 Director Ron Komers General Services $6,000 $4,485 $8,727 Agency Director Pete Pedroff Resource Management $6,000 $4,477 $8,329 Agency Dir. Tom Berg Information Systems $6,000 $4,376 $9,920 Dir. George E. Mathews Library Services $6,000 $3,964 $8,822 Director Dixie D. Adeniran

Auto Allowance Health Care Agency $146,380 Director Phillipp Wessels County Counsel $137,043 James L. McBride Public Works $128,147 Director Art Goulet Asst. CAO $135,446 Robert Hirtensteiner Public Defender $131,383 Kenneth I. Clayman Fire Chief $105,651 George Lund Court Executive $124,430 Officer Sheila Gonzalez Public Social Services $131,508 Agency Dir. James E.Isom Personnel $127,499 Director Ron Komers General Services $122,928 Agency Director Pete Pedroff Resource Management $115,826 Agency Dir. Tom Berg Information Systems $114,405 Dir. George E. Mathews Library Services $98,060 Director Dixie D. Adeniran

1991 Compensation Packages for County Executive Committee

* Other benefits include money the county contributed to 401-K plans, cash the employees received instead of medical coverage, the county’s pickup of the employees’ retirement contributions and textbook and tuition reimbursements.

** Numbers have been rounded off to the nearest dollar.

Source: The Ventura County Office of the Auditor-Controller.