OK, I admit it; I used the last City Council meeting TV show to put myself to sleep.
But before you pass judgment on me, there was…uh…nothing…else on the TV.
Well, as it turns out, the Newport Beach City Council was supposed to take a cut in Pay/Compensation from the previous year in the budget, but they actually didn’t. Instead they took a “Cut in the Rate of Increase”…resulting in…actually more pay/compensation from the year before, but less than they were supposed to receive…
Get it?
That’s OK, me neither.
But, it got me thinking (never a good thing).
Last November, newly elected Irvine Councilman Jeff Lalloway accepted his $10,560/year City Council stipend, but REJECTED his $32k to $37k a year benefits package and his $715 a month auto allowance.
In Fountain Valley, newly elected Councilman Michael Vo decided to donate his $475 a month stipend, and also REJECTED his lucrative benefits package as well.
And as if it was contagious, Costa Mesa’s Jim Righeimer also REJECTED his City’s Health Benefits package.
See a pattern here?
All three of them figured that being a Councilmember was an honor and taking Taxpayers funds for juicy benefits was wrong, with Lalloway saying, “I don’t think it’s fair that folks who work for a living and pay taxes are forced to cut back at this difficult time when council members are obtaining benefits that others can’t get.”
So naturally, I took a look at our Newport Beach Councilmembers and what they received.
The Mayor gets $20,491.90 a year for being Mayor, while the other Councilmembers earn $14,443.66.
That, I have no problem with knowing that each one puts in 30-50 hours a week dealing with dolts like me.
And I’m sure that not one of our Magnificent Seven actually are Councilmembers for the money.
But …
It turns out that each of the Councilmembers also receive $1,149/month ($13,788/year each) to purchase PERS provided medical/dental/vision plans. Considering that my pretty good Blue Cross plan covers me and my three 4 ½ year olds for half that, I can only imagine how good their plan is.
The City also pays $215/year for each Councilmember’s Medicare insurance, and contribute about $2,107/year to each Councilmember’s Retirement (although a few of them are already retired…).
In all, each Councilmember receives around $16,110 a year in just benefits, and added to the $14,443.66; collect close to $30,553.66 to represent us.
For you counting at home, that’s a total of $112,770 a year total budgeted for all the Councilmember’s benefits alone.
However it seems that there is one Hero-for-the People on the City Council who actually TURNS down that lucrative benefits package…and to my surprise, it’s the one of the Councilmembers who is still gainfully employed, Steve Rosansky, but he only started rejecting the package in April 2010 after 8 years accepting it. But nonetheless, he is still turning it down.
So, just as I’m sure that not one of our Councilmembers are there for the money, they all must have had health insurance before they were on the dais, either paid for by their employers or by themselves.
And after they are not on the City Council anymore, they probably will go back to their privately paid health plans, as Rosansky undoubtedly has/will.
My question then becomes, why do of our Newport Beach City Councilmembers, some of whom are already retired, and/or extremely wealthy, who own extremely pricey homes on the Oceanfront or on Newport Harbor, or with views of both, need to go to the public well to cover their Health Benefits and have money contributed for them to a retirement plan?
Seems a bit … opportunistic.
In a time where seemingly worthwhile Community events like the March of Dimes’ March for Babies or the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life are denied one red cent …
In a time where Health Care coverage rates are starting to rise at exponential rates, to a point where some won’t be able to afford Insurance anymore …
And in a time where the public sector and the private sectors are all called upon to sacrifice…
Our City Council was gracious enough to take a Cut in the Rate of Benefits increases.
Come on guys … most of you can more than afford your own Health Benefits.
And most of you don’t need that extra $2,107 a year in pension contributions for your already retired-self’s retirement.
Put that money back into the City coffers for those who need it more.
