During the June budget hearings, Board Chair John Haschak attempted to persuade his colleagues to implement very modest, one could say nearly insignificant, reductions to the Board’s annual budget of approximately $20,000.
Truth be told, $20K dematerializes on a daily basis in this county routinely.
Haschak’s argument was given the dire straits of a deficit budget, balanced only by $6 million of one-time funds, coupled with the unknown fiscal effects of a so-called “strategic hiring freeze”, the Supes needed to get onboard and do their part sharing the pain of these tough economic times.
His colleagues response was no response. Not a single vote to support Haschak’s proposed action. Just the late summer night serenade of crickets.
Anyway, at this Tuesday’s upcoming BOS meeting, Haschak is sponsoring two agenda items aimed at cuts in the Supervisors budget.
He’s seeking cuts in the amount of $20,500 from line items in the Board of Supervisors’ budget.
Specifically, the proposed cuts would be:
• $4,500 from Special Department Expense
• $3,500 from Education/Training
• $1,500 from Transportation In-County
• $6,000 from Travel Out-of-County
• $4,000 from Communications
• $1,000 from Office Expense
Additionally, Haschak is recommending that the annual salary of the Board of Supervisors be reduced from $110,715.00 to $103,008.
Last year in June, the BOS increased their base salary from $95,302 to $110,715 through a two-step process. First in the Summer of 2024, Supe salaries were bumped to $103,008. Then this July, Supes’ pay was increased to $110,715.
It might be instructive to look back at how the Board’s salaries were increased last year.
By the way, Supervisor Ted Williams cast the sole opposing vote to 2024 salary increase, although he offered no explanation for doing so.. The Board was comprised at the time of Williams, Haschak, Mo Mulheren, Dan Gjerde, and Glenn McGourty.
At the time, I explained the supervisor salary raise had two main components, plus a special provision that, take my word for it as a licensed Labor-Management Relations practitioner, will prove to be extremely problematical and fraught with all sorts of legal thorniness.
1. The first component is a two-step pay increase. Step one will occur in late September-early October when Supe pay increases to $103,008 from its current $85,500. The second step occurs in July 2025 when pay gets bumped to $110,715.
2. Following the July 2025 raise, Supe salaries will be automatically determined by what us labor relations practitioners call a “Me Too” clause or agreement.
Here’s the County’s version of its “Me Too” provision: “The Board of Supervisors compensation for services shall be increased or decreased commensurate with the terms and conditions in any future Department Head Association’s Memorandum of Understanding that are applied to all positions represented by the Department Head Association. Such applicable terms and conditions include, but are not limited to, cost of living adjustments (COLA’s), and provisions for compensation changes based on compensation surveys conducted on all positions, as identified in any future Department Head Association’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).”
Of course, the Supes still will be determining their compensation since they have to approve the Department Head Association’s MOU on compensation. So that’s how this “Me Too” agreement works. It’s an indirect method for compensation benefits to flow to the Supes without appearing on the surface that they have control over all compensation-related matters.
One of the things that’s not clear with the proposal at next Tuesday’s meeting is the issue of what will be the status of the “Me Too” agreement if the Board approves Haschak’s salary cut proposal.
Absent specific language to eliminate or rescind that provision from the existing BOS salary ordinance, it remains in effect. That means, in accordance with the “Me Too” provision, ““The Board of Supervisors compensation for services shall be increased or decreased commensurate with the terms and conditions in any future Department Head Association’s Memorandum of Understanding …”
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board needs to address that issue and provide the public with a detailed clarification/explanation over the process that will determine future salary increases.
Jim Shields is the Mendocino County Observer’s editor and publisher, [email protected], the long-time district manager of the Laytonville County Water District, and is also chairman of the Laytonville Area Municipal Advisory Council. Listen to his radio program “This and That” every Saturday at noon on KPFN 105.1 FM, also streamed live: www.kpfn.org
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