MADERA COUNTY – The Madera County Board of Supervisors has announced that they will again forgo an automatic 1.83 percent salary increase, “in light of the sacrifices that continue to be made by Madera County employees during these difficult fiscal times.”
This is the second year in a row that the Supervisors have passed on a salary increase. The Supervisors have not received a salary increase since November 2007.
The automatic increase stems from County policy that ties the Supervisors’ salaries to those of state Superior Court Judges. Earlier this month, the Judicial Council of California announced that judges would receive the 1.83 percent salary increase, effective July 1, 2014.
“It is imperative that our Board lead by example,” said District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Board. “Finances remain tight and it is simply not the right time to accept a pay increase.”
Madera County Supervisors currently receive an annual salary of $71,515. If the Board would have elected to take the last two automatic increases, their annual salary would equate to $73,844. By foregoing this pay increase, their pay scale lags far behind the pay for Supervisors in neighboring Counties.
A news release from Supervisor Max Rodriguez’s office states, “Foregoing the increase is not only a fiscally prudent decision by the Board, but an act of appreciation for Madera County employees who have made numerous concessions over the years to keep the County solvent. Challenging budget cycles have resulted in no cost-of-living increases for most employees since 2010.”
Supervisor Wheeler says he is “optimistic that things will turn around in the near future. Until then, our Board remains committed to making the same sacrifices as our staff.”
