Compensation Committee to Recommend Major Cut to Council Pay

This story was last updated at 8:35 p.m.

The City Council Compensation Ad Hoc Citizen's Committee will recommend a compensation package with a base of $30,000 for Palm Desert City Councilmembers.

On a 4-1 vote, with Dale Gribow objecting, the recommendation was made after a lighter than anticipated public hearing, and over an hour of discussion among committee members.

The package would be a base salary of $22,500 with an additional $7,500 to be applied toward health benefits, or taken in cash.  The recommendation as read made no mention of changes to pension benefits in the future, or addresses stipend for Councilmembers sitting on committees.

"It'd be a slap in the face," committeemember Dale Gribow said before the vote on what would be roughly a 50% pay cut for most members. "Many would take umbrage."

The anticipated public hearing, which the committee asked be moved to Council Chambers, drew six speakers from 16 people in attendance.

During the public hearing portion, it was revealed that between salary and benefits one council member made over $66,000 while the low was just over $46,000.

"When you look at compensation for [city council] members," committeemember Bob Leo said later, "I heard that one member was making over $66,000, I was floored.  That is too much money."

The first part of the discussion focused on what the duties of a council member are, and how much time is needed to fulfill them.  Interviews with sitting council members revealed that some say they spend as little as five hours a week on city business in the summer months to a high of 60 hours a week during the rest of the year.

The lack of a formal job description was also a point that seemed to surprise the committee.  

"The city council created thier own job description," Leo said. "That translated to full time employment.

"It's unconsciable that no one said 'work smarter, not harder'. City Council members didn't need to spend 30 to 60 hours a week.  Councilmembers made their job what it is."

Committeemember Kim Housken agreed that the time commitment is overstated now that the City Redevelopment Agency hs been disbanded. 

"I see the time commitment going down in the future," she said. "I just don't see it as a full time position.  If it is, it's by choice."

"If you had 80 hours to spend," committeemember Leo Sullivan said, "you could easily fill it."

Sullivan also believes that outside of the Mayor in his official position, the attendance of councilmembers at functions and civic group meetings are more political in nature and not mandatory.

"There are many hours spent that are not strictly related," he said. "many of these are more re-election related. It's 'get your face out there' time."

Gribow countered that Palm Desert is growing and running smoothly because of the large amount of time put in by councilmembers.

The Compensation Committee will meet to make final revisions to their report on August 1st.

The City Council will review the committee report at their scheduled meeting on August 23rd.