June 19, 2009 at 7:36 PM

During their June 16th meeting, the Chula Vista City Council once again failed to display sensitivity and leadership in these tough economic budget times by rejecting proposals to cut their salaries and the salaries and perks of other highly paid city executives.

“We need to work together…” stated Mayor Cheryl Cox, referring to tackling “bigger problems” in order to rationalize her reasons for refusing to take a 10% pay cut, pay her fair share into her retirement, and eliminate conference and travel perks.

The Council during their June 9 meeting decided to cut car allowances by 10% and rolling them into the salaries for top-level executives and managers.

The Council decision authored by Councilman Rudy Ramirez will have the following
consequences for our city:

• Cox, Ramirez, and Bensoussan approved salary increases, during a fiscal state of emergency.
• Cox, Ramirez, and Bensoussan approved increases to pensions during a fiscal state of emergency; the city (taxpayers) are now permanently liable for increase pension costs as a result of the Ramirez plans that increases the salaries of highly paid city executives.

Citing concerns about the State raiding more city money, Councilman Steve Castaneda indicated he preferred to wait and see before agreeing to any more budget reductions.
Bensoussan recently stated in a Union Tribune report that she works too much to receive a pay cut. During the June 16th meeting, residents argued that that they cannot afford to wait for the State to make a move, urging that the City must be proactive.
Cox, Ramirez, Castaneda, and Bensoussan struck down the following proposals from Councilman John McCann that would reduce Council and top executives salaries and other perks. Had the Council approved the McCann proposals, the costs savings could have been returned to save vital city services now cut or reduced.

Ed Herrera, President of the Chula Vista Civic Association offered these observations: “Mayor Cox says these proposals are “simply skirting hedges.” Should we apply the Mayor’s comparison as valid, we cannot afford to not trim hedges, when every dollar represents a service, a library, or a fireman that gets eliminated instead. The citizens of Chula Vista deserve reform, not lip service and politics. We face the danger of state raid on our city’s finances of 1.5 million in gas tax, up to 4 million due to Prop 42, a budget deficit, debt, unsustainable pension levels, and contractual obligations such as deferred pay raises. These were the very crucial and strategic small, but necessary first steps that needed to be taken towards long-term reform. For me, the purpose of
these proposals were not only funding whatever we could to preserve core services such as the Eastlake library which now operates at an unacceptable 15 hours a week, but also a much required demonstration of leadership by example from the top down.

This Council seems to act like an aristocracy that wants to be immune from leading by example. The entire city is making sacrifices and hard choices. Yet, this Council seems to not want to share in the burden.”