Yuba officials to raise salaries;
link future hikes to judges' pay

MARYSVILLE 11/13/02 -- Yuba County supervisors are poised to vote to give themselves a 10 percent raise and craft the law so they receive future pay hikes without public discussion.

The supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to waive the reading of a proposed amendment to the county ordinance that would jump their monthly compensation to $1,748 effective Jan. 1, 2003 and tie future pay boosts to percentage increases to judicial salaries.

Under the new law, in years to come the supervisors would automatically get raises whenever judges got raises. Judges' salaries are set by the Legislature.

A pay survey of surrounding counties done in 2001 showed Yuba County supervisors receiving 56 per cent less than their counterparts in Yolo, Butte, Sutter and Nevada counties. Of the five counties, Nevada pays the most per year: $34,122; while Yuba pays the least at $19,068.

Moreover, Butte, Sutter and Yolo county supervisors also receive car allowances of $500, $1,200 and $4,500 , respectively, pay survey researchers reported.

By any comparison," salary for Yuba County (supervisors) ranked 53rd to last among the 58 California counties," Assistant Personnel Director Michael O'Connor said Wednesday.

Yuba supervisors got their last pay raise in 1996. The proposed pay raise and pay-raise mechanism is expected to be formally adopted Nov. 19.