Name: No pay hikes for California lawmakers, officials amid budget pains
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No pay hikes for California lawmakers, officials amid budget pains

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Gov. Gavin Newsom, other state elected officials and legislators won’t be getting a raise this year, and the chair of the panel that sets their pay urged them to give back some of their salaries.The four members of the voted unanimously Thursday to leave the salaries as they are. While the damage the coronavirus pandemic has done to the state’s economy and its budget eliminated any possibility of a raise, they argued, there’s still not enough information about future costs to justify a pay cut.But Tom Dalzell, a union official who holds one of the two “labor” seats on the commission, said there’s nothing in Thursday’s pay freeze decision that blocks any elected official from giving back part of that money.Elected officials should seriously consider “the voluntary surrender of some part of their salary, given the hardship of many Californians, especially those unemployed,” said Dalzell, the commission’s chair.The freeze leaves Newsom’s annual salary at $209,747, while legislators will receive their current $114,877. The governor has said the same as he is proposing for state workers.The commission, which meets once a year to vote on pay and benefits for state elected officials, had few options in its 45-minute meeting. Once the that California would have to pay out money from its rainy day reserve fund to help close a projected $54 billion deficit, salary increases were barred. The panel could either cut officials’ pay or leave it where it is.There were few voices in favor of cuts, even in the face of the state’s financial crisis.“I could support a decrease, especially said Laura Horrocks, who represents nonprofit organizations on the board. “But I don’t know what (amount) that would be.”Other members argued that with some employee unions still in pay negotiations with the state and legislators slow to release their plans for next year’s budget, it was impossible to propose a realistic cut.“I’d hate to make any decision today that could affect” the negotiations, said Nicole Rice, a labor representative. “I’m in favor of waiting ... until there are more knowns than unknowns.”But with the June 15 deadline for the Legislature to pass a budget fast approaching, there isn’t much time to wait for additional information, Dalzell said.Related StoriesHe also reminded the members that cutting the pay of elected officials may look good to voters, but it would have little or no effect on the budget. Even if their pay is cut, the savings remain with the Legislature, not the overall state budget.“The amount of money is not significant to the state budget as a whole,” Dalzell said. “I’m not interested in meaningless, symbolic” gestures.About Our NewsroomMargaret Wong, the small business representative, joined the other members in the pay freeze vote, which took place by telephone.This will be the first time since 2012, when officials saw their pay trimmed by 5%, that the commission hasn’t voted to raise salaries. In 2019, the commission approved a 4% hike.Thursday’s decision doesn’t mean legislators won’t take a financial hit from the coronavirus. Because stay-at-home orders have blocked members of the Assembly and Senate from coming to Sacramento for much of the past two months, they haven’t been eligible for the $200 per diem payment most members receive when the Legislature is in session.Dalzell estimated that could cost legislators as much as $9,000 each.The Legislature set its own pay and that of statewide elected officials until 1990, when the voters passed which set up the commission.In 2009, with the state facing serious fiscal problems, voters passed which banned legislative pay increases if the state faced a budget deficit.John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: Twitter:About Our Newsroom

Gov. Gavin Newsom, other state elected officials and legislators won’t be getting a raise this year, and the chair of the panel that sets their pay urged them to give back some of their salaries.The four members of the voted unanimously Thursday to leave the salaries as they are. While the damage the coronavirus pandemic has done to the state’s economy and its budget eliminated any possibility of a raise, they argued, there’s still not enough information about future costs to justify a pay cut.But Tom Dalzell, a union official who holds one of the two “labor” seats on the commission, said...

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John Wildermuth

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No pay hikes for California lawmakers, officials amid budget pains

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