EDITORIAL: High pay for public executives hurts credibility
From state government to county and city leadership to local school boards, public entities are facing budget challenges. But when it comes to paying their top executives, elected officials seem to have an open checkbook.
The latest example comes from the Clark County Council, which this week approved a hefty salary increase for County Manager Kathleen Otto. In May, Otto will receive a 9 percent raise to $238,880; in January, she will receive another 6 percent increase.
The hypocrisy is evident. Late last year, Otto told the county council, "As you've heard for many years, we are in a structural deficit with the general fund, which simply means our ongoing expenses are exceeding our ongoing revenues." The previous year, she said, "Like many governmental jurisdictions, our revenues are not keeping pace with our rising costs."
Under state law, city and county governments may not increase their property tax levy more than 1 percent from year to year. When that does not keep up with inflation, the restriction creates a structural deficit. Yet somehow, the council manages to find funding for raises of 15 percent in an eight-month span for one of the highest-paid employees in county government.
As one Clark County resident told the council during a public comment period: "This isn't public service as we once understood it. Public servants used to accept lower salaries than the private sector because they received outstanding retirement benefits that the rest of us mostly don't get. Now, some public servants want both while the public is stuck paying the bill."
There are some caveats to the contract approved for Otto. One is that a salary increase of $31,824 makes only a small dent in an annual county budget of more than $600 million. Another is that Clark County is not alone in providing raises for high-profile employees despite budget constraints.
In January, the Vancouver City Council approved a 5 percent increase - to $340,230 - for City Manager Lon Pluckhahn, who recently had completed his first year in the position. The city has dealt with a $43 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 biennium.
Vancouver Public Schools has hired a new superintendent with a base salary of $305,000, along with a significant travel stipend and a generous retirement contribution. At the same time, district officials plan to cut nearly 200 staff positions to help make up for a $24 million budget deficit.
And in Evergreen Public Schools, which also is facing budget-driven cuts, Superintendent Christine Moloney has an annual salary of $358,032.
Whether in public or private entities, leadership is vitally important; the culture of any organization flows from the top. But too many governments have convinced themselves that a particular employee is irreplaceable and that taxpayers are a bottomless source of revenue.
On top of that are frequent comparisons to salaries in other governments. This becomes a circular argument, with a pay raise in one jurisdiction leading to a raise in another jurisdiction, and so on. As The Columbian reported regarding Otto's raise: "Council Chair Sue Marshall said the county has previously fallen behind in ensuring staff compensation is keeping pace with similarly sized counties and other employers, which prompted staff to leave."
Such thinking, however, violates the public trust. When governmental bodies consistently complain about budget shortfalls and induce cuts or ask for more from taxpayers, a lack of fiscal prudence in other areas damages their credibility.
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