Coachella Council Amends Executive Salary Plan

The word around town that the Coachella City Council would vote to increase management salaries spread like wildfire.

Residents were angry and so were furloughed mid-level city employees.

But before the vote Wednesday the city manager, David Garcia, put that rumor to rest.

Garcia assured the public and the council that the revised plan wouldn’t amount to salary increases for current employees.

Still, some were not convinced.

“If you’re one of the laid off employees, sitting at home, seeing these salaries and these structures coming into play, it sends the wrong message,” said Michael Dea, a business agent for a labor union representing mid-management and miscellaneous employees in contract negotiations with the city.

Longtime councilman Jesse Villarreal is 124 votes behind challenger Arturo Aviles for his council seat from the Nov. 2 election.

“To see this, its like a slap in the face of the people,” he said, before a member of the audience jumped in and agreed.

Garcia says the executive compensation plan hasn’t been amended since 2007.

He says no one’s salary will increase.

The new plan will just allow interim managers to become permanent staff.

It will also increase the salary ranges for future managers.

“We’re recruiting engineers, water managers — people who run public utilities,” said Garcia. “We’re in a very competitive environment and we need to be able to attract quality people.”

Council members are not included in the plan and neither is the mayor or city manager.

Garcia says, for the most part, employee benefits will not change.

He says the only other significant amendment is that the car allowance for executive employees increases from $50 to $100 per week.

“I think it’s a disservice to people not to be able to attract quality candidates for key executive costs,” said Garcia.

The vote passed 4-1 and Villarreal was the lone council member to vote no.

The changes will go into affect immediately.