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Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
Council says no more Pay for Performance
3-2 vote ends controversial salary program for city administrators
By Rachael Ackerman
Herald Editor
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While it took two years of discussion and planning to implement an administrative Pay for Performance salary plan for the city of Galt, it took only 30 days of controversy over the bonus-based program to put it to rest.
By a vote of 3-2, the Galt City Council voted to put an end to the Pay for Performance program after just one round of annual salary adjustments, saying there weren’t enough checks and balances in the program to make it reliable.
Outspoken against Pay for Performance from the beginning, Councilman Tim Raboy voiced his concerns about the program prior to voting to end it.
“In my opinion, it is inappropriate to spend taxpayer money on bonuses, totally inappropriate,” said Raboy, who had earlier protested the program by saying pay for performance programs were intended for private pay systems and not for government employees.
“When you work for the government, you get a salary based on your job description and duties,” said Raboy. “You don’t get a bonus for doing those things in addition to that salary. You just get the salary you contracted to receive.”
Raboy said he has favored a salary system for administrators based on salary adjustments that are negotiated annually for all other employees through unions.
“Whatever they (union employees) get through negotiation,” said Raboy, “that’s what the administrators should get, no more.”
Also against the program since its introduction, Councilman Don Haines shared serious concerns he has had about potential “equity issues” between employees with Pay for Performance before casting his vote to end the program.
Galt Mayor Andrew Meredith, who originally cast the swing vote to give Pay for Performance a “trial” run, served as the swing vote again, only this time his vote was to end the program, saying it was too problematic to be beneficial to the city.
Galt Councilman Barbara Payne, who championed Pay for Performance, said, prior to voting to keep Pay for Performance for a longer trial period, she wasn’t happy with the current system of choosing salary ranges being based on comparisons to other cities.
“I think we should not only consider the performance of the individual, but also the economy,” said Payne after the issue of the 2008 salary adjustments. “We have to base our decisions on what we can afford, not on what everyone else around us can afford.”
Councilman Darryl Clare, who said he still feels that Pay for Performance can offer “rewards” and “motivation” to department heads, voted to keep the system, saying it was too soon to decide.
Council’s vote to end Pay for Performance in the future does not undo any of the salary adjustments or bonuses awarded to nine top Galt officials in March based on Pay for Performance.
Those salary adjustments, except for a five percent increase in the city clerk’s salary, were decided by Galt City Manager Ted Anderson and ranged between four and six percent. Anderson, himself, did not receive a salary adjustment when his contract with the city was last negotiated for renewal through council.
As an elected official, City Clerk Liz Aguire’s performance review and Pay for Performance salary adjustment had to be done by city council.
Council will meet at future meetings to decide on an alternative plan for administrative salary adjustments in the future.
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