Council Gets Windfall Raise Amid Outcry

Los Angeles City Council members, already the highest paid in the nation, were notified Friday that they have received a 4% pay raise retroactive to July 1, 1999.

The raise is on top of a 2.5% pay increase City Council members received July 1--bumping their annual salaries 6.5% to $117,900 and drawing loud protests from taxpayer and homeowner groups.

“The rate of pay for public officials is vastly outstripping the increases in wages for the average taxpayers,” said Kris Vosburgh of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. “The feeling is one of frustration and alienation, like the public officials are a privileged class ruling over us.”

Richard Close, chairman of secession group Valley VOTE, said council salaries have gotten out of hand.

“I believe that in order to attract qualified people you have to pay them a fair amount, but this is getting to be a joke,” Close said.

At least three City Council members said they did not plan to accept all or part of the latest raise.

Councilman Alex Padilla held a news conference at his alma mater, Telfair Elementary School, to announce he plans to give his raise to the school for purchase of playground equipment.

“I am dedicated to providing opportunities for youth, especially those in my district,” he said.

Councilwoman Laura Chick said she will accept only a 2% raise effective Jan. 1, keeping her pay increases in line with those received by most city employees.

And Councilman Mike Feuer has a standing order to keep his salary at $98,000, the amount he was paid when first elected.

In 1990, Los Angeles voters tied the council salaries to the pay for municipal court judges. The city controller is paid 10% more than council members and the city attorney 20% more, under the formula.

The automatic trigger has boosted council pay nearly 90% in the last decade.

The judges received an automatic cost of living increase of 2.5% last July 1, but then negotiated a further 4% raise in September, retroactive to July 1. City Controller Rick Tuttle said he didn’t learn of the salary change until this week.

As a result, the council members are due back pay totaling more than $30,000, or about $2,000 each, said Deputy Controller Tim Lynch.

Vosburgh said the process for granting raises to elected city officials is as much of a concern as the amounts of the raises.

“We have a disconnect between the council members and the raising of their pay,” Vosburgh said. “While on the surface that might look good, it is now on autopilot. It would be superior to have the council members stand for election after deciding, themselves, on their pay.”