2000-02-09 Charter Commission Minutes

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minutes 02-09-00Page 18 of 41 IRVINE: They’ve probably had this status pay grade prior to the time you guys were there, and it just stayed there. It can’t go much higher. HERKES: Does everybody have to come before the Council for a raise? RAY: The ordinance has to come before the Council for a vote. HERKES: The ordinance. RAY: Yes, for these. And my experience on that was it was almost an impossible political decision to make, or to support it, and we went nine years, some pretty prolonged period, without raises. BEN: From ‘86 until ‘90, and then ‘90 to ‘97. MARTIN: Join the real world. SANTANGELO: No, the bargaining units didn’t move like that. The bargaining units went right along. It’s the non bargaining that took these - MARTIN: They must have had a hell of a good organizer or negotiator. RAY: Mr. Ben, what we’re having a dilemma with is all the other positions, other than the Departments and the Deputy Departments, and quite frankly, not so much not wanting to support them, but from a strategic standpoint, putting these on, we don’t want that to be a deal killer if somebody happens to be opposed. Quite frankly, the physicians or Band Directors, or whatever, we’d hate for that to bring down the whole proposal. I can see the headline. Steve. BESS: John, let me understand. Chris, what you’re saying is you have to list all of them? YUEN: No. BESS: You’re saying all Department Heads and their Deputies, and the following named Departments. YUEN: That’s right, if you were to go with this complete list. BESS: So, we’re only looking at how many people? YUEN: County Physicians, the Safety Coordinators, and the Band are not Department Heads. BESS: With all due respect, John, I don’t know that, assuming we may take some other action regarding the County Physicians, that naming an additional three positions in addition to Department Heads and their Deputies would fly in the face of the voters. My sense. SANTANGELO: For me, the issue on this thing, Mr. Chairman, is that we’ve seen that the people that have the greatest impact, being the Directors and the Deputy Directors, on our government, and the quality thereof, and to me, that’s what I’m looking at. So, if this Commission feels these other names does jeopardize it, I’d certainly want to drop them. Just to let you know where my agenda is. IRVINE: I think a lot of people would be quite interested in the fact that we have County Physicians, or surprised. SANTANGELO: But what would be accomplished by putting them on here? IRVINE: Well, that’s what I mean. That’s why maybe they should stay out, if you want it passed. SANTANGELO: Yes, I’d like to see the Directors and Deputy Directors passed because I’ve seen what a mess that is. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 02-09-00.html7/1/2011