Well the corruption that comes along with electing the wrong people normally comes after the new people are sworn in but not in Rialto apperently and not with this rag tag crew of Council Members and Mayor. On Tab 5 of the Rialto City Council agenda for the November 22nd meeting city council members will be giving themselves a raise of $713.11. Currently Our city council makes $918 a month plus medical, dental and vision benefits will be making $1,631.11 the Mayor is by the ordance required to make 150% more than city council so Mayor Robertson will be giving herself a raise from $1,377 to $2,446.66 and increase of $1,069.66 who also gets medical, dental and vision benefits.
The language that gives them this power is listed on the cit council agenda and pasted below:
WHEREAS, the Rialto Municipal Code at Sections 2.12.030 provides that the Mayor receives compensation based on one-hundred fifty percent of the compensation paid to the council members;
The Rialto Municipal Code, at Section 2.12.040, entitled “Council Members,” shall be amended in its entirety to read as follows, with the revised language displayed in redline format: “Under the California Government Code Section 36516(c), each member of the city council (including the Mayor) shall receive compensation in the amount of one thousand six hundred thirty-one dollars and eleven cents ($1,631.11) per month.”
We spoke to City Administrator Mike Story and he cleared up a lot of things for us:
- The City Administrator asks City Council at every regular election cycle if the elected body would like to add a pay increase for city council to the agenda, every 2 years.
- Last time this was done was 2008 and according to Mr. Story the increase was approved.
- Mayor Robertson, Ed Scott & Joe Baca Jr. all approved of having the pay increase on tonight’s agenda.
- The decision must be made tonight the incoming council members CANNOT vote on the pay increase.
We talked to a few people about this raise and they were not at all happy about it:
“The city dumps us into a bad water deal, leaves us with torn up streets and taxes us on our trash but they want raises no way” Amber
“Until we give our employees an increase in pay we should not even be thinking about council raises” Councilman Ed Palmer
“We don’t have money for K9 training, we backed out of the Regional Helicopter Program and cut our hiring more public works people but we have money for Council raises?” Javier
“I never looked at what the compensation for city council was the pay wasn’t my motivation for running. I don’t think that city council pay should be increased and if I was allowed to vote on this item I would vote no.” Andy Carrizales Councilman Elect
“We should have a county measure to restrict cities in our counties from raising their pay arbitrary.” Matthew
One thing that everyone wondered was why would Rafael Trujillo leave a higher paying position as a Water Board Director with West Valley Water? Now we know it’s because he will be walking into a massive pay increase which he was aware of since he is highly tied to Mayor Robertson, Council Member Ed Scott and Council Member Joe Baca Jr.
Join your fellow community members in telling the Mayor that there will be no raises until some promises are filled https://www.facebook.com/events/907011846096289/
rialtonow 