Executives’ Annual Pay
As an example, the salary floor for the Director of DPSS will be $210,159, compared to $181,320 previously.
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved increasing the salary ranges tied to multiple executive positions in more than 20 Riverside County agencies, in what the county’s chief executive officer described as a move necessary to keep the county on par with neighboring jurisdictions.
No pay hikes were formally authorized in the 5-0 vote by the board Tuesday, but the classifications’ new minimum and maximum salary levels were expected to lead to raises going forward, even before the end of the current fiscal year, for so-called “executive family” members who qualify under the revised pay regime.
“Nearly all department head salaries are currently below the market when compared to our five surrounding counties,” according to an Executive Office statement that was posted to the board’s agenda. “The salary range adjustments were also evaluated based on internal structure, role parity and compaction risks, allowing for salary adjustments where necessary.”
CEO Jeff Van Wagenen said that the range modifications were required to keep the county “competitive” in recruitment efforts and for retention.
Supervisor Karen Spiegel said that she understood the need to keep executives’ annual salaries “comparable” to those in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties, but she complained that proposed changes to public employees’ salary schedules “keep coming to us” without any apparent cohesion, creating confusion.
Van Wagenen acknowledged the variable timing of the submissions to the board and said efforts were underway to improve the process.
The new highest maximum level listed among the salary ranges published by the Executive Office was assigned to the chief county counsel position, the prior salary range of which was $241,275 to $317,432, but will now be $254,342 to $381,009 per annum.
For the director of the Department of Public Social Services — the largest agency by operational budget in county government — the new pay floor will be $210,159, compared to $181,320 previously. The position’s pay ceiling will remain $320,763. The ceilings did not change for a few executive positions.
The assistant director for DPSS will have a pay range of $178,101 to $267,303, compared to $136,117 to $240,627 before.
The clerk of the board’s new minimum annual compensation will be $178,179, compared to $102,811 until now — a 73% difference. The clerk’s potential maximum will be $250,932, as opposed to $181,516 previously, or 38% higher.
The assistant clerk of the board’s range has been upped to $150,999 to $209,110, where it was previously $85,548 to $151,210.
Among public safety agencies slated for adjustments, the Department of Probation ranked highest, with the chief probation officer’s salary range going from $163,517 to $274,198 per year, to anywhere from $192,668 to $300,953 annually.
The pay scales comprise only straight compensation and don’t incorporate the values derived from vehicle allowances, travel allowances, vacation time banking, insurance and other taxpayer-funded benefits.
Van Wagenen said a round of proposed pay hikes based on the new formulas would likely be presented to the board in May.
In June, the California State Controller’s Office will release its annual list of highest paid officials in municipal and county governments statewide.
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