OXNARD : City Clerk Attacks Pay Raise Proposal

A proposal that would eliminate an automatic 5% raise for the Oxnard city clerk and treasurer was described by the city clerk Friday as politically motivated.

City Clerk Daniel Martinez said the measure, which will be considered by the City Council at a meeting Tuesday, appears aimed at him personally, since Treasurer Dale Belcher is already at the top of the city’s pay scale and would not be affected by the proposal.

“This is totally political, coming from one council member,” Martinez said, but he declined to name who he believes is behind the proposal.

Martinez, who was elected last year, criticized the city for hiring his predecessor for a Police Department job after she was defeated in her bid for reelection. Martinez said the city was doing Mabi Covarrubias Plisky a favor because she is married to Councilman Michael Plisky.

Mrs. Plisky was later fired from her position as a community relations specialist for the Police Department and the council revised the city’s hiring policy to prevent a similar occurrence.

The proposed salary adjustment would eliminate the automatic 5% step raise that the clerk and treasurer receive each year for five years until they reach the top of their scale. Instead, the new proposal would substitute a pay-for-performance review.

During his first year as city clerk, Martinez has received a monthly salary of $3,903. That would increase to $4,102 with an automatic step-raise.

The automatic salary increase is not consistent with the city’s pay practices, and would be greater than the 3.5% raise granted other employees, said City Manager Thomas Frutchey in a report to the council.