Grand Jury: How Much Does Walnut Creek Pay Its Elected Officials?

Walnut Creek likes to take pride in saying it keeps a tight rein on salary and benefits it pays to employees. This rein appears to extend to its six elected officials, at least compared with what some other cities and large independent districts pay to their elected council and board members.

Walnut Creek's relative frugality is noted in a new Grand Jury report "Elected Board Membership: Public Service or Public Employment?" 

Walnut Creek doesn't spend nearly as much on its five council members as compared with Richmond, San Ramon and Martinez. These three cities far exceeded the $77,895 average of 19 cities and 27 large districts surveyed over a 12-month period ending in June 2010, according to the Grand Jury report. and an article published Monday in the Contra Costa Times. 

Walnut Creek, with a population of 66,000, spent a total of $61,798 on its elected officials. The Grand Jury's report collected information for the following categories: salary and or meeting fees; health insurance costs; pension or deferred compensation; life insurance premiums, car allowance and mileage; cell phone and internet access; and travel and conference costs.

Richmond, which has a full-time mayor and six council members, spent a total of $267,139, according to the Contra Costa Times.  San Ramon, with 60,000 residents, spent $163,190, and Martinez, with about 35,000 residents, spent $131,326. 

The Grand Jury conducted this report because it "believes the public should be aware of compensation paid to its elected officials. ... County residents are living through very difficult economic times in which both public agencies and individuals have had to cut spending."

The total amount spent countywide in fiscal year 2009-10 on compensation for the surveyed councils and boards was $2,419,619.

The grand jury notes that the compensation council members and board directors receive is small change compared to the agencies' overall budgets. However, agencies have cut staff and services in recent years to close deficits.

"Although service reductions have been implemented, governing boards have continued to enjoy the same level of benefits," the report says. "They should demonstrate their leadership by eliminating or reducing benefits."

Martinez Mayor Bob Schroder defended the $16,415 in health insurance he receives from his city, telling the Times that Martinez council members compensation is appropriate, as council members often put in long hours for a part-time annual salary of $7,020.

In in a , Schroder and Vice Mayor Janet Kennedy said they are willing to look at cuts to the council's compensation, but didn't see much merit to the idea.

"I mean, it's a job, and it's a lot of work," said Kennedy, who has served on the council since 2000. "I don't think that the compensation is unfair."

Walnut Creek paid nothing in health insurance costs to its elected officials but was one of 12 cities the Grand Jury found paying for pensions and other forms of retirement.  Council members each receive 7,020 in salaries, or about $585 a month.

Mayor Cindy Silva said that concil members voted a 10-percent salary reduction two years ago. Concil members also pay 7 percent of their salaries into the CalPERS retirement system, an amount similar to the city's executive team.

All Walnut Creek employees are requiied to pay into the system, though most pay less than 7 percent, she said.

When asked if there was any conflict of interest with council members voting on employee benefits, she said that the state's Attorney General's Office ruled in 2006 that members of legislative bodies can make decisions about benefits, even if they themselves are beneficiaries. 

Council members also receive about $100 a month to cover their mileage going to and from community events, and about $40 a month for phone, computer, faxing and internet accesss,, she said.

Walnut Creek is not nearly as frugal as the towns in Lamorinda, which each paid nothing in salaries, meeting fees, health insurance costs, and pension and retirement costs to their elected officials.

Here is the Grand Jury's breakdown of what Walnut Creek spends. A PDF of the Grand Jury report is attached.