Blog note: this article references a grand jury report.
MARTINEZ — Three Contra Costa County elected officials will get pay raises this month ranging from 4.77 to 8.45 percent on top of the 4 percent cost-of-living increases they received in July.
The Board of Supervisors last month unanimously approved the latest raises, effective Aug. 1, for the county’s clerk-recorder, who oversees the elections department, the treasurer-tax collector and the auditor-controller.
Those will be in addition to the 4 percent cost-of-living increase that kicked in last month, which the supervisors authorized in December for management, exempt and unrepresented classifications — including elected department heads.
County Administrator David Twa said at Tuesday’s board meeting the extra raises will make the salaries of the three elected officials comparable to those of their counterparts in neighboring counties.
As a result, Auditor-Controller Robert Campbell’s salary gets an 8.45 percent bump to $225,594 a year, Treasurer-Tax Collector Russell Watts’ pay goes up 4.77 percent to $217,931 and Clerk-Recorder Joseph Canciamilla takes in 5.48 percent more for $210,686.
A county analysis indicated they made less than people holding similar jobs in Alameda, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma and Santa Cruz counties.
It’s not always apples and apples, however, since some of the other counties combine roles of the three elected officials. In Alameda County, for example, the auditor‐controller‐clerk‐recorder functions are combined, and in Sacramento County the auditor‐controller and treasurer‐tax collector functions fall under the job of director of finance.
Salary increases for Contra Costa’s district attorney and sheriff-coroner are tied to those given to the employees in their departments. District Attorney Diana Becton’s $282,094 and Sheriff David Livingston’s $269,174 salaries are higher than the averages of their respective positions in other counties.
Although County Assessor Gus Kramer would need a raise of 1.96 percent to match the average salary of county assessors in the other counties, Twa said he didn’t recommend it because of “issues” in the department. He didn’t elaborate on the issues.
The county’s grand jury has recommended that Kramer be removed from office amid accusations that he created a hostile work environment by making sexual comments and racial slurs to employees.
According to county documents, increasing the salaries of the three elected officials will cost the county $55,000 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, including $13,000 in pension costs.
“These adjustments are necessary to prevent the potential loss of highly trained executives and to continue to attract experienced, highly motivated individuals to run for these offices,” the memo says.
Earlier this year, the supervisors voted to tie their own raises to those of Superior Court judges. By 2021, the supervisors’ salaries will reach $134,825 — 65 percent of the judges’ salaries.
August 7, 2019
East Bay Times
By Annie Sciacca
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