Despite significant public opposition, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors voted to increase their salary on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, with 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams dissenting.
The new pay scale will raise salaries from $95,302 to $110,715, bringing their total compensation package to $160,715 by 2026.
For comparison, data from the California State Controller indicates the total compensation package for supervisors is $105,284 in Lake County, $134,976 in Humboldt County, and $232,727 in Sonoma County.
A press release from the county described the decision as a “decisive move” that was met with “some controversy” to ensure fair compensation for county leadership. The release noted that the increase balances statutory obligations and future adjustments tied to the Department Head MOU. “The salary increase acknowledges the demanding nature of their roles, involving continuous oversight and advocacy for all county residents,” the release stated.
During the public comment period, A’Kesh Eidi, president of SEIU Local 1021, drew applause with his opening remark, “You want to do what now?!” Eidi criticized the board for using a different method to evaluate supervisor salaries compared to other county employees. He pointed out that SEIU members were compared with eight counties for their contract negotiations, leading to modest increases. In contrast, the board compared supervisor salaries with only three neighboring counties, including Sonoma, which skews the comparison due to its significantly higher pay.
Carrie Shattuck, a resident of Mendocino County’s 2nd District and former supervisor candidate, offered a scathing rebuke. She criticized the board for proposing raises amid the county’s financial crisis. “The county is in a financial crisis. It has given raises to all the highest-paid officials recently while knowing we cannot afford them,” Shattuck said. She also highlighted struggles faced by in-home support services workers and criticized the board’s focus on their own salaries over community needs.
Shattuck concluded by accusing the board of being out of touch with the community and suggested that recalls might be the only solution for addressing the issue. “This board is not deserving of a raise. It is shameful and disrespectful to all county employees that this is even on the agenda today,” she said.
2nd District Supervisor Glenn McGourty defended the salary hike, addressing the criticism from some community members. “There is a group of people who no matter what we do or what we say are not going to like this,” he said. McGourty acknowledged the need for fair compensation, given recent economic challenges and inflation, and described the job as “the hardest job of any that I’ve ever done.”
3rd District Supervisor John Haschak expressed discomfort with having to vote on his own salary increase calling it a “weird position” to be in.
Interruptions from the audience during Supervisor Haschak’s comments led Chair Mo Mulheren to call for order, stating, “If we could please not shout out. I understand that this is a really important topic.”
Haschak argued that delaying salary increases could unfairly impact new supervisors and criticized the notion that funds could be redirected to other county needs, saying, “It’s not like if we don’t give the supervisors salary increases, we’re going to be able to repair the buildings or provide the health care benefits.”
1st District Supervisor Mo Mulheren later defended her vote on social media, describing the it as “one of the most awkward” experiences of being an elected official. She argued that the pay increase is intended to attract more residents to public office, suggesting that it helps ensure that elected officials are committed to serving their community despite potential career gaps.
Glenn McGourty, you are a disgrace and worthless human being. The reason it’s the hardest work you’ve ever done is because you have never done a damn thing in your life except sit on your ass and suck at the teat of government. You are an absolute disgrace along with the rest of your cohorts. This group of Stupivsors are an embarrassment and joke to the county. The reason it felt so “ weird and awkward” is because every one of you waist of human life know it is morally wrong! Just a group of individuals with no moral compass and unable to do anything else except drive the county into bankruptcy. Recall these jokes of government waist.
P.S. Thank you to Mendofever for bringing this to light because you know the Stupivors would have loved to keep their constituents in the dark.
They should feel shame for giving themselves a raise. They don’t. Their reasons for doing it are false. This county’s financial crisis, their poor decisions on many issues, are on their heads. These supervisors are the worst this county has ever seen.
Mulheren says the raise is intended to attract more residents to public office. That’s the same BS the BOS says every time they rubber stamp their own raises.
What they don’t say is that Mendocino County government is so dysfunctional and our local economy so stagnant that we’ll never attract productive new residents and businesses to live and work here. There is no growth in this county unless you count the BOS salary raises. Our stagnant local economy, hobbled by the perennially inept and self-serving BOS, ensures that Mendocino County will always witness a flight of its human capital toward greener pastures like Sonoma or El Dorado. You’d be a fool to try and run a business in Mendocino unless you’re either (A) in the booze industry or (B) the recipient of lucrative government contracts.
Until there is a cultural shift, starting at the BOS level, Mendocino County will continue to attract/retain nothing but bums, fugitives, and other assorted freeloaders. Maybe the county supervisors prefer to keep that kind of company.
Agree 100%
If nothing else, this demonstrates that incompetence and corruption “trickle down” like all the rest.
Look at how the Presidential race is shaping up. America has lost its way.
Wow these guys are colossal failures how do they even vote a raise with our money?!!!!
What no comments from pink cheeks gjerde. Can we vote them out with a recall?
Clearly this wasn’t a performance based pay raise. This was just 5 incompetent frauds wanting what their neighbors have. Keeping up with the Jones’. Not surprising. We live in a me first society & the higher ups always take the cake & leave crumbs for the rest of us.
McGourtu is retired. And outgoing. Why does he need a pay raise. Something he argued for.
Because he just that 2nd house of his in Fort Bragg… The entire board are useless crooks.
Meant to say he bought a 2nd house… Gotta pay for it…
Outrageous shame on them vote them all out,our country is broke and now it’s broken have you no shame.95,000.00 isn’t enough!!!
Must be nice to vote yourself a raise? What about the people who clean up your shit and everyone else! This is not the time for a raise, have you looked at your county? The vacant property’s in the county and the city? Go earn your money and clean up Carl’s Jr or you don’t see it like everything else..
Ukiah wake up before it’s too late..
How funny, I wrote to my supe (won’t name names here) just last month asking about the county funding a park in our area- the kids here have literally nothing to do in town. His reply: “Being a very poor community, Mendocino County can barely afford the limited parks that it owns… a new park in XXX is not likely.”
Strange he thinks Mendocino, being a poor community, should prioritize his down salary rather than improving the life of our kids.
Unbelievable. I have no hope of any increases…ever, unless the union negotiates with the board for another pathetic 1% COLA over the next year. Wow. How nice of them to do that for themselves with our money. I wish someone would have asked me.
Keep in mind they are all popularly elected by the voters of Mendocino County. Some of these Board members will not even benefit from the raises they vote for but Mendocino county is having an identity crisis. The prior members like Jon McCowen and Carre Brown should also be part of this mess they left for the current board. Writing backward Cannabis ordinance and enabling the CEO in her authority are part of the devil’s bargain this county took many years ago. Now the county will feel the burn from its prior leadership role models and I can only hope that some wisdom is being taken from this painful learning experience.
July 31, 2024
I called the BOS today and left a message for our 4th district
Supervisor to call me. This concerns Pudding Creek Rd., county portion of road. The grass along both sides of the road is about waist high and constitutes a fire hazard now. Also, this road is a Designated Bike Trail and those walking alongside the road, let alone biking, have no way to step to the side of the road because of the weeds, making it a dangerous situation for walkers and bicyclists. It turns out our Public Works Department used to have 14 employees and now only has 5 employees, not nearly enough to do jobs such as these that need to be done.
Now I find out the supervisors have graced themselves with a raise! My goodness, it seems to me they were making a very nice salary before the raise. I’m most surprised and anxious that such across the board raises impact the ability to hire more workers. Fire danger is real, and so is an unsafe walking situation along this road.