Ventura County Government Employees Wages And Salaries

With a strike by government employees looming, county executive Johnny Johnston suggested Monday the county will have to make do with a "leaner, meaner work force" if demands for higher salaries and better benefits are met. A threatened walkout Friday by 4,200 clerks, receptionists, accountants, librarians and other general government workers was an unspoken but potent factor during the Board of Supervisors' budget deliberations Monday.

Ventura County government workers will be looking for an "honest, good-faith effort" to raise their pay during a negotiating session next week--but are still prepared to strike if no progress is made, a union chief said Wednesday. "If [county negotiators] say the right words next week, there's a good chance we will be able to put an agreement together," said Barry Hammitt, head of the 4,200-member Service Employees International Union, Local 998.

Hundreds of Ventura County government employees jammed a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday to voice frustration and outrage over a proposal that would cut salaries by 5% and slash fringe benefits. Employees said they felt demoralized that Supervisors John K. Flynn and Maria VanderKolk had targeted salaries as a way to offset an anticipated $36-million loss in state funding.

With a strike by government employees looming, county executive Johnny Johnston suggested Monday the county will have to make do with a "leaner, meaner work force" if demands for higher salaries and better benefits are met. A threatened walkout Friday by 4,200 clerks, receptionists, accountants, librarians and other general government workers was an unspoken but potent factor during the Board of Supervisors' budget deliberations Monday.

Three months after voting salary raises for themselves and other top county managers, two Ventura County supervisors Monday proposed reducing the pay of most county workers by 5% and slashing fringe benefits in an effort to cut $20 million from next year's budget. Although one union leader accused supervisors John K. Flynn and Maria VanderKolk of "grandstanding," their proposals were praised by taxpayer advocates as a bold attempt to control government spending.

The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees today will consider a proposal to pay secretaries, custodians and other non-teaching staff to retire early. The "Golden Handshake," as the plan is called, would credit classified employees with an extra two years of service so their pensions would be calculated at a higher rate, said Jerry Pauley, personnel officer for the college district.

Ventura County supervisors are considering freezing the wages of about 3,700 workers and offering five years of medical benefits to lure veteran employees into taking early retirement. At a time when the county could lose between $50 million and $60 million in funding from the state, the supervisors said they need to consider as many options as possible to reduce costs. They will vote on the two money-saving measures at their meeting Tuesday.

Ventura County Superior Court judges backed away from a proposed $23,000 annual raise for court executive officer Sheila Gonzalez on Tuesday, saying they need more information before approving any pay increase. At a private meeting Tuesday, the judges agreed not to grant the 24% raise until they have more details about what court executives in like-sized California counties are paid, Superior Court Judge James M. McNally said.

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday will consider a request to delay switching to a four-day workweek until June 20 to give employees more time to make child-care arrangements. Although the supervisors agreed several weeks ago to rearrange most county office hours to four days a week, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Personnel Director Ron Komers is urging the board to postpone the start date for about a month. The switch is now scheduled to begin May 23.

A committee of Ventura County government leaders rejected a recommendation Wednesday to cut their own paychecks and the salaries of all other county employees to offset expected losses in state funding. Calling the proposal by Supervisors Maria VanderKolk and John K. Flynn illegal and unfair, the county's 12-member budget committee unanimously rejected their proposal to save nearly $20 million with an across-the-board pay cut and reductions in lucrative fringe benefits for top managers.

Although their union is demanding a hefty pension increase, Ventura County sheriff's deputies already enjoy significantly greater benefits than civilian employees in county government, a Times survey has found. And if the deputies' latest request is granted, that gap would only widen, critics say. The deputies' demands come as civilian employees also lobby for cost-of-living increases on retirement benefits.

Ventura County supervisors are considering freezing the wages of about 3,700 workers and offering five years of medical benefits to lure veteran employees into taking early retirement. At a time when the county could lose between $50 million and $60 million in funding from the state, the supervisors said they need to consider as many options as possible to reduce costs. They will vote on the two money-saving measures at their meeting Tuesday.

Ventura County Superior Court judges backed away from a proposed $23,000 annual raise for court executive officer Sheila Gonzalez on Tuesday, saying they need more information before approving any pay increase. At a private meeting Tuesday, the judges agreed not to grant the 24% raise until they have more details about what court executives in like-sized California counties are paid, Superior Court Judge James M. McNally said.

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday were warned by a group of top managers that the county may be forced to cut salaries of the board's assistants, lay off custodians and find cheaper ways to print election ballots to help balance next year's budget. Five managers who oversee the county's internal operations outlined for the board ways to reduce operating expenses at the first of several budget workshops scheduled during the next month.

The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees today will consider a proposal to pay secretaries, custodians and other non-teaching staff to retire early. The "Golden Handshake," as the plan is called, would credit classified employees with an extra two years of service so their pensions would be calculated at a higher rate, said Jerry Pauley, personnel officer for the college district.

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday will consider a request to delay switching to a four-day workweek until June 20 to give employees more time to make child-care arrangements. Although the supervisors agreed several weeks ago to rearrange most county office hours to four days a week, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Personnel Director Ron Komers is urging the board to postpone the start date for about a month. The switch is now scheduled to begin May 23.

After an acrimonious debate, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a four-day workweek for most county employees. Under the plan, which was touted as a way to save up to 40 jobs and reduce spending by at least $650,000, most county offices will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. four days a week, starting May 23. The supervisors voted 3 to 2 to approve the plan, with John K. Flynn and Maria E.

At a cost of nearly $1.3 million, about 330 Ventura County employees are seeking immediate payment for a perk that provides cash for unused vacation time. County Auditor-Controller Thomas Mahon said that since March 22, when Supervisors Maria VanderKolk and John K. Flynn proposed slashing salaries and benefits, a steady stream of employees has been requesting payment for a lucrative perk called "in lieu of vacation pay."

A committee of Ventura County government leaders rejected a recommendation Wednesday to cut their own paychecks and the salaries of all other county employees to offset expected losses in state funding. Calling the proposal by Supervisors Maria VanderKolk and John K. Flynn illegal and unfair, the county's 12-member budget committee unanimously rejected their proposal to save nearly $20 million with an across-the-board pay cut and reductions in lucrative fringe benefits for top managers.

At a cost of nearly $1.3 million, about 330 Ventura County employees are seeking immediate payment for a perk that provides cash for unused vacation time. County Auditor-Controller Thomas Mahon said that since March 22, when Supervisors Maria VanderKolk and John K. Flynn proposed slashing salaries and benefits, a steady stream of employees has been requesting payment for a lucrative perk called "in lieu of vacation pay."