Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

San Diego City Council Balks at Pay Raise Initiatives

San Diego city council members decided not to put an initiative on the ballot this November which would have tied their salary increase to those of State Superior Court Judges. KPBS reporter Alison S

San Diego City Council Balks at Pay Raise Initiatives

San Diego city council members decided not to put an initiative on the ballot this November which would have tied  their salary increase to those of State Superior Court Judges. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

San Diego city council members currently have to vote on their own pay raises, recommended by a Salary Setting Commission. But because of the 2002 vote that led to the billion dollar pension deficit and the city’s fiscal problems, council members have found it politically impossible to accept a pay raise without causing public outrage. The council considered two options to give themselves and the mayor a raise next year and then tie subsequent raises to pay hikes the State Legislature awards Superior Court Judges.

Advertisement

But when it came time to vote, 6 out of 8 councilmembers said they couldn’t support putting anything on the ballot. Councilwoman Donna Frye voiced one major problem

Frye:  Again most unfortunate timing but the fact is its going to be very difficult to talk about on one hand rolling back pension benefits for a group of city employees while at the same increasing the salaries of the elected officials 

The council will vote next week on a ballot measure that would reduce guaranteed pension benefits for non public safety city employees, and increase the amount employees have to pay into their own pension fund.

Alison St John, KPBS news