The Salary Setting Commission voted Wednesday, Jan. 30, to recommend increasing the mayor’s salary from $100,464 to $130,000 in July, with a second raise to $150,000 July 2009.
The commission also voted to recommend a raise for City Councilmembers’ salaries from the present pay of $75,386 to $100,000 in July and to $125,000 in July 2009.
It is up to the City Council to adopt, modify or ignore the recommendation by the six-member organization, which meets every two years.
Commission President Deb Pedersdotter, a lawyer, must submit the recommendation to the council by Friday, Feb. 15.
Commission member Robert Ottilie made a motion to increase salaries for the mayor and council to $250,000 and $200,000 respectfully, but that failed in a 2-3 vote. Ottilie then made a motion for an increase of $200,000 for the mayor and $165,000 for councilmembers, but that also failed in a 2-3 vote. One commission member was absent.
The vote for the 2008 salary increase passed by a 4-1 vote, and the 2009 raises passed by a 3-2 vote. Voting in favor of the 2008 raise were Pedersdotter, Ottilie, Maureen Steiner and Jess San Roque.
Commissioner Mark McMahon voted against the 2008 raise and Steiner joined him in voting against the 2009 raise.
“I think this is shockingly low, but in the spirit of unanimity, I’ll support it,” said Ottilie, an attorney and 2006 chairman of the Mission Bay Park Committee.
Pam Hardy, communications director for Council President Scott Peters, said Peters didn’t take the last raise, which passed in 2002, and his pay is $71,522.
She said Peters has donated part of his salary to his district office budget for the last two years, so his take-home pay is actually $40,747 before taxes.
Mayor Jerry Sanders does not accept his full salary, since he is eligible to receive a pension as a 26-year employee of San Diego Police Department. No one from his office could be reached for comment as to his current take-home pay.
The commission has been holding several public hearings on the subject in January, and most speakers who have attended have urged them not to recommend a salary increase.
“We decide nothing but a recommendation. The City Council still has to decide it,” Pedersdotter said. “It will probably be ignored.”
The City Council ignored the last two raises recommended by the commission, but they did approve a 7 percent raise for 2002 and 2003.
Pedersdotter and others said the mayor and councilmembers often work 17-hour days. Several said office holders have no privacy.
“I think it’s a horrible job and I really admire anyone who does it well,” she said.