Pierce County Council members are expected Tuesday night to eliminate annual 3 percent pay increases for themselves, the county executive and three other top elected officials.
County Executive Pat McCarthy proposed doing away with the automatic raises because elected officials need to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our employees.”
“I think this is the right thing for us to do,” McCarthy told a council committee Monday.
The county is seeking no cost-of-living adjustments for all of its nearly 3,000 employees.
Council chairman Roger Bush supported an amendment Monday to substitute McCarthy’s proposal for his own plan, which would have let county elected officials and employees choose to reduce their pay voluntarily.
“I think it’s a fair proposal,” Bush said of McCarthy’s plan. “We’re willing to walk down the same path as everyone else.”
Bush’s proposal noted many county employees have had their hours and salaries cut and haven’t received COLAs, while other county employees and elected officials haven’t absorbed any cuts.
Under the proposal McCarthy introduced last month, salaries for 11 elected officials – the seven council members and the executive, auditor, assessor-treasurer and sheriff – would be increased only if recommended by a citizens commission and then approved by the council.
A three-member council committee unanimously recommended the changes Tuesday for full council approval at today’s County Council meeting at 6 p.m. at Fircrest City Hall.
All seven council members supported the changes, which also would activate a 10-member salary commission that was established by ordinance in 2007. Bush said he didn’t expect that commission would be set up until next spring.
The changes don’t cover the Pierce County prosecutor and Superior Court and District Court judges; county code sets the prosecutor’s pay at the rate of a Superior Court judge’s salary, while the judges’ salaries are set by a state salary commission.
Ordinances currently on the books stipulate that the county executive, auditor, assessor-treasurer and sheriff receive 3 percent salary increases each year. By extension, council members’ pay increases would be eliminated under McCarthy’s proposal because their salaries are set by county charter at 60 percent of the executive’s.
McCarthy earns $179,336 annually. Council members make $107,602 a year. They are among the highest-paid elected officials in the region.
Council member Rick Talbert supported amending Bush’s original proposal with McCarthy’s in part because it places future decisions about council raises in the hands of a commission.
“We won’t be in, I think, a difficult position at times of trying to ask our employees to do one thing while we’re doing something else,” Talbert said.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” council member Joyce McDonald said. “These are unusual and difficult times. And we’re all thankful that we have a job.”
Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647
steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/polibuzz
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.