From www.dictionary.com
Niggardly
–adjective
1. reluctant to give or spend; stingy; miserly.
I received an email from Mr. Kent Davy, editor of the North County Times asking about a proposal to give the Encinitas City Manager a pay raise and so I sent him what I thought was a reasoned response. I got no feedback from him via email, but today the editorial encourages the Encinitas City Council to stiff the City Manager who hasn’t had a raise in three years, and gives no valid fiscal rationale for it other than basically just because we can!
My email to Mr. Davy :
Kent,
Please view the background report here: http://archive.ci.encinitas.ca.us/weblink8/0/doc/654963/Page1.aspx
The bottom line is that Phil Cotton has done a great job. He’s saved the City millions of dollars operationally and he’s had no pay adjustment since 2007.
Also, Encinitas has a policy of paying its employees in the “median” of comparison Cities and his wages have slipped about 12% below that threshold.
I realize some Cities around the County are truly struggling; as are many families, but Encinitas City employees have lower retirement than most (2.7% at 55 instead of 3% @ 50), our employees contribute to their retirement plan, and we do not pay for retiree Health Insurance (big expense). On the income side, our real estate values and thus property tax base has remained remarkably stable, and sales taxes, while down, are not our major source of income to the City.
In short, our 245 or so general employees have gotten a 3.5% each year (2008, 2009, and 2010) per their contract, our budget is balanced, and I believe the one City Manager who helps with all this should get a raise. My initial proposal was for 11% plus 1% deferred comp which would bring him to the area median, as well as make-up for the years where the City Council did not adjust his pay. And frankly, it was also colored in part because I knew my cohort on the sub-committee (Ms. Barth) would recommend $0.
The last time this was on the agenda, a few weeks ago, Councilman James Bond said something to the effect that he had served on the City Council with each City Manager the City has ever employed, and by a large margin, Phil Cotton is the best City Manager we’ve ever had. That’s high praise indeed.
As you may have guessed by now, I believe excellent performance deserves reward, not a politically easy cold shoulder. And frankly, Encinitas can afford it.
My hope is that the City Council will find an acceptable compromise and adjust the pay of the City manager, in some fair manner, between both extreme recommendations.
Thanks for your willingness to hear my reasoning on this politically delicate matter. I do appreciate it.
Jerome Stocks
I’ll add that the City of Encinitas has more money in its reserve accounts now than ever before. But hey, times are tough all over, let’s screw everybody we can, right? It’s the politically correct thing to do!