Letter: No justification for Sutter County raises

The Sutter County Board of Supervisors approved 5 percent raises for all county employees except safety employees on Feb. 26. The 5 percent raise followed 15.1 percent in raises for middle and top management a year ago. While raises are justified for some Sutter County employees to bring them up to parity, the Sutter County Taxpayers Association questions the need for continuous excessive benefit and pay increases for middle and upper management.

Let’s look at a few facts. The median income in Sutter County is just over $30,000, with 12.1 percent of residents living below the poverty level. In comparison, the median income for Sutter County workers is around $48,000.

An example of excessive pay is the county administrative officer’s salary and responsibilities when compared to the District 3 director for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) headquartered in Marysville.

The recent 5 percent raise brings the CAO’s salary to $180,200 a year. The CAO is responsible for management of Sutter County government operations with a budget of $214 million and 900 plus or minus employees. County retirement benefit is 2.7 percent at 55.

The Caltrans district director makes $126,240 a year and is responsible for a budget of more than $1.7 billion – yes billion – with 2,200 employees in 22 counties. Caltrans’ retirement is 2 percent at 55.

There is absolutely no justification to continue raising salaries for middle and top management while services – road and levee repairs – go begging.

-Pat Miller
Yuba City