Supes get phased pay raise of 27 percent by 2010 Supes get phased pay raise of 27 percent by 2010 (August 17, 2005)

By Marion Softky

Almanac Staff Writer

San Mateo County supervisors will bump up their salaries in stages, starting with a 10 percent raise for two supervisors in 2007, and culminating with a raise of slightly over 27 percent for all of them by 2010.

On August 9, the supervisors unanimously approved the ordinance that will give them their first pay raise since 1988. By 2010, all five supervisors will be earning about $104,000 per year. Their current salary is $81,515 per year.

The 2010 salary is close to the current average salary for supervisors in the five closest Bay Area counties, which is $102,645.

Actual salaries vary widely, with supervisors in Contra Costa County making $59,924 while their neighbors in Alameda County pull in $157,058, according to a table compiled by Board President Rich Gordon. Santa Clara County supervisors are paid $119,338.

"It seems fair and reasonable that the board's compensation should reflect the average of Bay Area counties," said Supervisor Gordon.

This is the third attempt over the past decade by the supervisors to get a raise. Because the county charter makes it difficult for them to vote themselves a raise, they went to voters twice to establish a fairer way to determine an appropriate salary.

The first try would have tied a supervisor's salary to that of Superior Court judges; the second would have established a commission of former grand jurors to determine an appropriate salary. They were turned down both times.

In San Mateo County, the supervisors oversee an agency with a budget of $1.3 billion and over 5,000 employees. They are responsible for activities as diverse as land use on the coast, criminal justice and courts, public health, and welfare.

"This is clearly more than a full-time job," Supervisor Gordon said. "In order to attract candidates of diverse backgrounds and experience, the pay level needs to be competitive."

The incremental pay increases are complicated because they follow the procedure laid out in the county charter, which forbids the Board of Supervisors to raise the salary of any sitting member.

Under the ordinance approved last week, individual supervisors will only get a raise after an election. The supervisors representing Districts 2 and 3 -- currently Rich Gordon and Jerry Hill -- will get their raise January 8, 2007. The supervisors representing District 1, 4 and 5 will see bigger paychecks on Monday, January 5, 2009.

In addition, the salary increases will be phased in over four years between 2007 and 2010. Newly elected supervisors will get a 10 percent raise for 2007. This will be followed by base salary increases of 5 percent each of the following three years.

Actual numbers are not known because supervisors also receive a cost-of-living increase each year. This runs a few percent, but no more than 5 percent, Mr. Gordon said. "It's never been more than 3 percent in the last eight years."

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