It’s an idea that’s kicking up controversy. It’s a proposal to give big pay hikes to Santa Barbara County Supervisors. The plan would raise the annual board salary from $115,000 to $171,000, which would be a 48% pay hike.
The county’s Human Resources Department is recommending a number of adjustments to make the salaries of top officials more competitive. It suggests the same formula used by a number of other counties be used. It links the county supervisors' salaries to a percentage of the base salary of a Superior Court judge. Ventura, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties are among the counties using the formula.
The staff report says under the current salary range, the Chief of Staff for a county supervisor could potentially make 27% more than the official that’s their boss.
The proposal also calls for salary adjustments for some other top top county officials, but they are much smaller in size.
Some people have expressed concern about the amount of the proposed hike. County Supervisors are set to look at the issue when they meet Tuesday.
