The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted to remove elected officials from receiving longevity bonuses in reaction to a Shasta County Grand Jury report.
The report, "The Quarter Million Dollar Typo, Words Matter," recommended that elected officials be removed from receiving the bonuses and the ordinance be rewritten to include the word "appointed" when talking about the county staff members eligible to receive the bonus.
The issue divided the board with much discussion centering on wording in the Grand Jury report.
The report said approval of a 2008 resolution from the Board of Supervisors would cost taxpayers more than $260,000 from 2009 through 2023, due to the omission of the word "appointed."
At their regular meeting on Tuesday, three out of five supervisors agreed to remove elected officials from receiving longevity pay for more than 20 years of service. Elected officials will continue receiving the 5 percent bonus until the end of their current terms in office and keep whatever bonuses they've already received.
Sheriff Tom Bosenko, who received about $40,000 last year when the board voted to give him the longevity bonus retroactive to 2009, said the bonus doesn't affect his view on his job one way or the other. "The board's decision will not impact my career in any way," he said. "I love my job and I am honored to serve the citizens of Shasta County as their sheriff."
Supervisors Les Baugh and Bill Schappell did not wholly agree with the Grand Jury's report. In the end, however, the board approved all the Grand Jury's recommendations.
Rewarding elected employees is something the county should reconsider, as loyalty is important for the county, said Schappell, who felt the report had an alarmist tone.
Baugh echoed that while pointing out the report had a number of its own typographical errors.
"They said words matter, but they skewed their words," Baugh said after the meeting, who felt the report suggests the board votes on resolutions and then rewrites the motions.
Chairman Pam Giacomini did not agree, instead pointing to the word "appointed" being omitted from the resolution in question.
County Executive Officer Larry Lees said the Grand Jury report contained two errors, including one that stated Supervisor David Kehoe would be eligible for the longevity stipend in a few years. Since supervisors' pay is determined by an ordinance, that's untrue, Lees said.
Another error referenced closed session minutes on the adoption of the 2008 resolution, which do not exist, so Lees was unsure of that information.
The board also adopted a policy of proof reading, which the Grand Jury report recommended.
Supervisor Leonard Moty saw the typo for what it was — a mistake that required correction.
"It's very simple. Someone made a mistake and it should be rectified. There was a lot of distraction being thrown out," Moty said after the meeting.
The bonus pay issue came up in 2015 when Treasurer-Tax Collector/Public Administrator Lori Scott inquired about her longevity stipend. At a supervisors meeting the board agreed to give Scott and Bosenko a retroactive payment for their stipends. Bosenko received about $40,000 and Scott received about $32,000.
May 10, 2016
Redding Record Searchlight
By Nathan Solis
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