County supervisors Roger Gitlin, Lori Cowan and Gerry Hemmingsen at a recent meeting. Photo: Andrew Goff

Despite contradictory statements from one county supervisor, the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors did not recently vote to give themselves a raise, County Administrative Officer Jay Sarina said Wednesday.

The ordinance that caused the misunderstanding updates county supervisors’ base salary in the county code, bringing it in line with cost of living adjustments they have approved periodically since 2007, according to Sarina.

The ordinance is a change on paper, not a raise for supervisors, according to Sarina.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance July 9. Supervisors are expected to hold a public hearing and will issue a final vote at a future meeting.

That ordinance coincides with another the Board of Supervisors approved in 2008 stating that their cost of living adjustments would be identical to that of other elected officials such as the county assess or and the county tax collector, Sarina said.

County supervisors last received a cost of living adjustment about two to three years ago, Sarina said.

“We typically negotiate agreements with employees and they’ve been two year agreements,” he said. “The one we just negotiated with miscellaneous and mid-management are actually three year agreements.”

The ordinance setting salaries for the Board of Supervisors was last updated in 2007, according to the July 9 staff report drafted by County Counsel Elizabeth Cable.

In addition to codifying the Board’s base salary, the July 9 ordinance also codifies a life insurance benefit that was altered for elected department heads to coincide with benefits for assistants and confidential employees, according to Cable’s staff report. This benefit includes $100,000 plus a year of salary or two years’ salary, whichever is greater.

“All benefits are the same as other County elected officials,” the staff report states. “Benefits election provisions that were out of date and not utilized were removed from the ordinance or changed to reflect current status.”

On Tuesday, District 1 Supervisor Roger Gitlin said he would change his yes vote to a no on a second reading of the July 9 ordinance “paving the way for supervisors to amend their salaries.”

“I voted yes with great reluctance and after additional research and consultation I decided to change my vote to a no,” he said. “Priorities notwithstanding, our board should not be looking towards self service but helping serve the needs of our financially strapped county.”

His colleagues Gerry Hemmingsen and Lori Cowan took issue with that statement, saying they did not vote for a cost of living adjustment for themselves.

“Roger brought this up, that somehow we voted ourselves a raise, which is absolutely false,” Hemmingsen said, adding that such decisions must be discussed in public. “He went on TV and said we voted ourselves a raise. That’s absolutely not the truth. We didn’t even vote ourselves a COLA.”

Cowan urged Del Norte residents to ask if they’re unsure of something they read on Facebook or hear in the news.

According to Cable’s staff report, bi-weekly compensation for county supervisors is $1,462.60 for their first elected or appointed term; $1,608.86 for their second term; $1,769.75 for their third term; $1,946.72 for their fourth term; $2,044.06 for their fifth term; and $2,146.26 for their sixth term.

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