Indio Slashes City Salaries

The City of Indio is slashing salaries.

The top five paid city positions are taking 10 percent pay cuts.

The cuts are expected to save the city more than $113,000.

This as residents in Los Angeles County held protests over high salaries of city administrators in Bell.

The city manager there is making more than $800,000.

However, the Indio salaries are no where near that high.

The salaries for the top five positions range from $150,000 to 200,000.

The pay cuts are permanent, according to a city employee.

The employees will also still be required to work a 40 hour work week.

The highest paid employees working for the city of Indio are: the development manager, planning manager, city engineer, chief of police and assistant city manager.

The assistant city manager makes the most at $210,000. He stands to lose about $21,000 in pay after the cuts.

“It’s a big city — that doesn’t seem to be an outrageous salary to me,” said Ronald Helm, an Indio Resident.

Residents like Helm don’t seem to be bothered by the salaries. But they do understand the city is strapped financially.

Cutting salaries is better than cutting more jobs, said Helm. He’s bothered more by the controversial city salaries in Bell.

“They’re out of control,” he said. “I think the people have finally awakened to that.”

The streets of Indio were quiet. Nothing like the anger and outrage sp onto the streets of Bell.

Protesters gathered at a Bell city council meeting voicing their frustration.

“We want the resignation of the four council members that are earning over $100,000,” said Christina Garcia, with the Bell Association to Stop The Abuse Bell.

As for the city of Indio, in combination with the 10 percent across the board pay cuts for all city employees, the city will save $1.7 million in the general fund.

The city is still asking residents approve an additional 3 percent utility-user tax increase this November.

Helms said considering the tough times, he doesn’t have a problem voting yes.

“But I know a lot of people that are living on the edge probably that would hurt,” he said.

The city council also decided to take a 10 percent pay cut, which will save the city about $7,000, The new city manager is also making more than $90,000 less than his predecessor.