San Fernando : Council Votes to Give Itself 20% Pay Hike
San Fernando City Council voted this week to give members a 20% raise--beginning in April 1997.
Each council member will be paid about $476 per month, instead of the current $397, city officials said.
The raise was included as part of a general pay rate and scale change affecting many of the city’s employees.
The last time City Council members gave themselves a raise was in 1988, City Administrator Mary Strenn said.
“The law regarding General Law cities such as San Fernando is very specific about raises for elected officials,” Strenn said. “In our case, the council members are allowed a 5% pay increase per year.”
But since council members have neglected to take a raise for several years, they voted on a 20% raise, Strenn said. At a City Council meeting Monday evening, members noted that they could have taken up to a 35% raise to make up for past years when they went without pay increases.
“In any case, it’s going to benefit the next City Council, not this one, because it doesn’t kick in until 1997,” Councilman Raul Godinez noted.
The monthly salary is meant to defray the costs associated with attending public functions and other events.
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