Thursday, March 1, 2012

Redwood City - "Critical" pay increase, thanks voters!


City Clerk 7%, City Attorney 4%
Palo Alto Daily News/Bonnie Eslinger, 3/1/12. "Redwood City council gives raises to city attorney and city clerk."

"Redwood City's top government attorney just got a 4 percent salary increase and the city clerk a 7 percent bump. 

The Redwood City City Council approved the raises without discussion Monday night, three months after residents passed tax measures that city officials said were critically needed to avoid service cuts.

As a result, City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden's annual salary will climb from $101,148 to $108,228, which with adjusted benefits will cost the county an additional $10,690, according to a memo from Mayor Alicia Aguirre.

City Attorney Pamela Thompson's raise is retroactive to Aug. 23, 2011, the date of her last performance evaluation. Thompson's salary rose from $207,072 to $215,354, which with benefits will cost the county an additional $11,348. With the raise, Thompson now makes 5.59 percent more than the median salary of city managers for comparable cities such as Palo Alto, Berkeley and San Mateo, according to Aguirre's memo."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

7 comments:

Hutch said...

This is ridiculous. When will the insanity end?

Well it's all about to end as almost all cities are facing insolvency due to un funded pension obligations.

Pacifica owes 20 million to Calpers for our employee pensions http://royceprinting.com/jobs/FOSarchive/2010FOS/05_06_10_PacificaFOS.pdf

That's the real time bomb that's going to explode in a couple of years.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, that's where I'd want my extra tax dollars to go. Right into the pockets of city employees already making comfortable salaries
while the city, and it could be any city, blackmails the people for more money. Better not happen here.

Anonymous said...

WTF......?

Anonymous said...

Hutch (654), I think this bond was $19 M+ about 5 years ago. The only thing different about flipped city bonds over time is that the debt increases. This one about $1M. Note: The city is A rated, raised to AAA. Cost of insurance to do that: $561,630.95, page 10.

Other city bonds were flipped about 3 years ago, with some monies withdrawn. City economic plan.

Anonymous said...

Hutch, you are the first person who would be complaining if the sewer backed up in front of your home and there were not enough public works men to take care of it. Some cities value there employees and do not want them to leave and take their expertise to the private sector.

Anonymous said...

Don't be silly. Why would they leave city employment for the private sector? It would mean a paycut, less benefits and the pension thing is real iffy out there.

Anonymous said...

Please, take that expertise to the private sector. See what they'll pay you and what kind of benefits you'll get and pay substantially towards.