Board OKs Pay Hike, Reverses on Car Allowance

Reversing themselves after a public outcry, divided Ventura County supervisors eliminated their $375 monthly car allowances Tuesday but voted to increase their salaries by more than $5,500 a year.

The 7.7% pay raise will bring each supervisor’s annual salary to $77,428.

The board approved the pay raise on a 3-2 vote, with Supervisors Kathy Long and Susan Lacey dissenting. Supervisor Judy Mikels provided the swing vote in the closely watched decision.

“The kid is on the hot seat,” she said, smiling, before casting her “yes” vote.

The compensation issue arose in May, when members of the public expressed opposition to a pay raise for the board.

A five-member citizens Blue Ribbon committee appointed to look into the question agreed the board should have a raise. The supervisors’ salaries have been set at 65% of a judge’s pay, which amounts to $71,897. The committee suggested raising that to 70%, equivalent to a $5,531 increase, which the board accepted Tuesday.

The car allowance ultimately became the most controversial element in the pay package. The citizens committee recommended that supervisors take either the monthly vehicle allowance of $375 or a reimbursement of 31 cents a mile for gasoline--but not both.

Earlier this month, supervisors voted 3 to 1, with Long dissenting and Lacey absent, to take the raise and reject the committee’s recommendation to curb the car perks.

But Tuesday, during a second debate on the matter, Mikels had a change of heart. She said she would agree to the raise only if the car allowance was reduced.

“This discussion has become almost hysterical,” Mikels said during the meeting. “The issue has been great for the newspapers.”

She said she decided the perk wasn’t worth the fight.

“What voters really want is to clean up the so-called double-dipping situation,” Mikels said. “I don’t want to overstep the Blue Ribbon committee.”

Under the new arrangement, supervisors will get a mileage reimbursement if they drive their own cars or no reimbursement if they use a county-owned vehicle.

Mikels defended the pay raise.

“We’re not talking a lot of money here, folks,” Mikels said. “This is not the salary of Bill Gates.”

Lacey, who will be leaving the board in January 2001, said she was satisfied with her current pay. Long said the county’s budget wasn’t on solid enough ground to justify a raise at this time.

Supervisor John Flynn also said the extra money doesn’t add up to that much. “At least it’s a little bit of an increase,” Flynn said. “It’s not much. . . . I think people believe supervisors work one day a week. This is a full-time job. I could cry all I wanted, but people would still think I work one day a week.”

Supervisor Frank Schillo said the compromise was “a very good solution for the taxpayers.”

“And it eliminates a perk forever.”

Taxpayer advocate Jere Robings, who has publicly expressed his anger over the issue, said he was also satisfied with the board’s decision.

“That’s fine,” Robings said. “We knew they were going to accept the pay raise. I’m glad they’ve come to their senses on the car allowance issue.”