2023-10-12 Salary Commission Minutes

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Salary Commission October 12, 2023 reasonable to both the employees and the taxpayers, as opposed to negotiating. This is not a win-win—we're not I don't think—I don't see this as negotiating partners. MS. NAMAHOE: To respond to that, I used the word "negotiation" as placeholder language for the process that faces us. The public will weigh in and we will meet thereafter. And it would be—it might be unreasonable to assume that our numbers stay firm outside of public engagement. The until I have a better synonym for negotiation that is, in effect, what we're doing. And that's the sobriety of the language that I've chosen to use. So, thank you. But, again, we areso, again, to be clear and just to reiterateI'm suggesting that we speak, going forward, regarding the January pay movements that we are looking to implement, that we call those "inflationary adjustments." For the figures that we come up with for July 2024, we call that their "pay increase" for clarity and also to set expectations for everyone who engages with us—not only ourselves, here, on this Commission, but as the public comes in. And, again, we have November 16th to participate in democracy and watch people come in and weigh in on the behavior—on the choices that we are tasked with making and going forward. I think I've made myself clear. Thank you. CHR. PAVAO: Thank you. Any more discussion? MS. FRENZ: This is Deputy Corporation Counsel, Cody Frenz. Let me jump in and just remind everyone on expectations for legal requirements for this Commission to adopt any sort of increase or decrease as required by law, under the County Charter. So, 30 days prior to the approval of any sort of salary adjustment, we shall—and I this is part of my communication with you all yesterday publish at least once in at least two daily newspapers of general circulation in the County, a detailed account of its proposal or proposals including specific increases or decreases in both actual dollar amount and percentages. The excel spreadsheet that has been provided to all of you includes to use the correct terminology as discussed this morning both the inflationary adjustments to—from 2018 to 2023 to current—which should be, theoretically, the January 2024 change in base compensation and the July pay increases—both need to be properly articulated when we do those newspaper publications. So, to the point of discussion, reconsideration, negotiation that entire conversation with Commissioners Nelson and Namahoe this Commission, as I indicated at our prior hearing, really needs to be prepared to know what it personally wants to do. If you were—and it's fine if you do—let me just make clear. It's fine if you hear public testimony and you, as a body, decide we don't want to do the 5%. Let's say you were to continue on that path today and we publish with those rates -22.44% and the 5% in July. Page 6