Spending Taxpayers Money Like a Dot Com Executive - Increasing Pay For Elk Grove Human Resources Exec Another Bad Idea
Approval vote full of pitfalls for Elk Grove city council members In the last few days, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors ...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2009/09/spending-taxpayers-money-like-dot-com.html
Approval vote full of pitfalls for Elk Grove city council members
In the last few days, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors have been grappling with the not so surprising fact the anticipated $68 million budget shortfall has grown by an additional $8 million. The additional shortfall comes mostly as a result of lower than expected sales tax revenues.
While the county’s budget problems don’t necessarily mean bad tidings for Elk Grove, after all our finance department if fully compliant with all city resolutions, it can be a good leading indicator of our sales tax revenue situation.
Elk Grove city manager Laura Gill said during the city’s budget deliberations that the tax revenue situation is unlikely to improve for the next few years. One of the reasons Gill cited was lagging sales tax revenues.
The top pay would go from $124,451 to $150,000.
Gill’s basic rationale is this – since the city will not fill the deputy city manager position, the savings from that can help fund the increased pay for the human resources position. What is wrong with just keeping the savings from the elimination of the deputy city manager and put that money, taxpayers’ money in case we have forgotten, untouched back into the general fund?
Of course any self-respecting private or public sector executive will undoubtedly say they need to increase the pay scale to recruit and retain talented personnel. Given that California’s unemployment rate reached 12.2 % in August, we suspect it wouldn’t be too difficult for the next few years to find a well qualified human resources manager who would be willing to accept the current pay scale of $88,893 up to $124,451.
We even suspect there are probably several people right here in Elk Grove who would be qualified and more than eager to take even the lowest pay on the current scale of $88,893, so scrap the cost of that recruiter while you are at it.
All this leads us to wonder if Gill, and if the city council blindly approves it, are in some sort of time warp where they think we are reliving the dot com era?
Before the city council members give this resolution their rubber stamp approval, they need to keep in mind the political perils they may face in 2010 too.
For council members Jim Cooper and Gary Davis, both of whom are seeking higher office and Pat Hume who is likely to seek reelection, this vote is the stuff all the aspiring Lee Atwater’s and James Carville’s live for – a vote on something that can be easily misrepresented against them.
So you don’t think it can’t happen to you, council members? Just ask one of the John’s – Kerry or McCain.
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14 comments
Have you not been reading about the personnel issues at the city? The city needs a really experienced HR professional to come in and help "clean up" the issues that are going on. There is no one currently at the city who could do that. I agree that the new salary may be a little high - but take a look around at other what other local cities are paying HR Directors before you jump to conclusions. The highly highly regulated world of HR in the State of California is NOT where you want to cut corner.
These people are living in the twilight zone! How can they propose elevating this position. At my job we have had to take on additional responsibilities...we don't elevzate vacant positions, ask for $21,000 pay raises and then try to fill vacancies!!!! Citizens of Elk Grove, you must attend the Oct City Council meeting and challange this item on the COnsent Calendar...otherwise it will be approved without ANY DISCUSSION...you know...under the rug!!!!
The pay is to too high for this position. The dotcom days are long gone.
Maybe dotcom finally made it to EG, 10 years later. That must be it. That is how they justify this ridiculous pay.
MC, isn't it on the Sept. 23rd Agenda?
Lets not forget that the last personal manager quite because of our city manager. Do we trust that this person hired by the city manager will have the employees intrest at heart.
Come on, people. Why does Elk Grove need a highly-paid HR person to clean up the personnel mess? There are any number of current classified employees who could do it very nicely. If you equate salary with competence, take a look at Elk Grove history and re-evaluate that sort of thinking.
I find it somewhat bazaaaaaaaaaar that anyone can,with a straight face, say that a well qualified person to manage HR affairs within the city is NOT AVAILABLE at the current salary level. $10,000 per month plus benefits is VERY VERY generous.
I respectfully disagree with the last poster. This mess needs a highly compentent HR professional with enough background that they can get the respect of the Council, police union, employees AND the City Manager. That level of HR background and competence does NOT exist in any current classified employee. This person is going to be walking a razor thin tightrope. That being said, I agree that the proposed salary is high and would be better at the same range as Roseville's which tops out at just under $139K.
The City of Elk Grove is out of control. We don't need another "Oracle" at a high pay rate to give us a clear vision of the future.
Who runs h.r. now? What's so wrong with the status quo?
Thank you, 12:11 PM. The only way to stop this is for many Elk Grove citizens to attend the SEPTEMBER 28th City Council meeting and to challange, during public comment, COnsent Calendar item 6.7. Demand a public hearing. Don't let the City Council slip this one past the voters!!!! Everyone needs to sign up to receive City website alerts. Sign up for the City Council agendas and the Planning Commission agendas. ALWAYS scrutininze the Consent Calendar items (this is how Sophia's double dipping was exposed!) You can see the details by clicking on the agenda item number (in this case click on 6.7)You can sign up here: http://www.elkgrovecity.org/community/website-updates.asp
Since May we have seen 4 layoffs cut in pay and people leaving. What is this city manager thinking. It seems that she just wants to put her people into place and not care about the other staff.
Elk Grove is like a sinking ship. Wait til the even lower sales tax revenues hit home next year.
NO WAY!
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