To: CVF-NEWS
From: Kim Alexander
Subject: Calif. Salary Commission to meet this week
Date: January 12, 1998

Hi Folks,

As many of you already know, California has an independent salary commission that establishes the salaries for state elected officials, such as the Governor and members of the State Legislature.

The salary commission (officially titled the California Citizens Compensation Commission) meets regularly to discuss current salaries and take advice and input from members of the public about current and future salary levels. The commission and its governance process were enacted by the voters through a ballot measure passed in 1990, known as Proposition
112.

A meeting of the salary commission will be held this Thursday, January 15th in Sacramento. The commission's meetings are always very open but unfortunately, seem to typically attract only the most angry and often misinformed citizens. It is my hope that CVF-NEWS subscribers will consider weighing in on this important matter and help stir up a more thoughtful and intelligent debate about what California's politicians deserve to earn. With that hope in mind, I am sending you an announcement about the commission's upcoming meetings summarizing the discussion topic for each meeting.

If you would like to attend and speak at any of these meetings, contact the commission's director, Peter Strom and asked to be placed on the agenda. If you cannot attend these meetings in person but would still like to share your thoughts with the commission, you can send them in via fax, US mail or email. (FYI for the journalists on this list, Peter Strom is also the media contact person.) Here is all the vital contact information:

Peter Strom
Department of Personnel Administration
1515 S Street, North Building, Suite 400
Sacramento, California 95814-7243
Phone (916) 324-9368
FAX (916) 324-0524
email: PJSTROM@dpa.ca.gov

Below is the salary commission's December 1997 meeting announcement.

-- Kim Alexander, Executive Director, California Voter Foundation
kimalex@netcom.com
http://www.calvoter.org
(916) 325-2120

CALIFORNIA CITIZENS COMPENSATION COMMISSION RELEASE:
December 2, 1997

Sacramento, California
Peter J. Strom, Press Contact
(916) 324-9368

The California Citizens Compensation Commission, which sets the salaries and benefits for elected State officers (including the Governor and members of the Legislature), will hold three meetings in early 1998 to
consider State officer pay issues, leading to the adoption of its 1998 salary and benefit resolution.

The Commission was created in June 1990 through the voters' passage of Proposition 112. Having been in operation for more than seven years, the Commission believes it should once again review certain key conclusions it reached in developing the current State officer pay structure.

The specific meeting times and places are outlined below, along with the topics that will be the focus of Commission discussion at each meeting. Public testimony on any of the topics will be accepted at each meeting. All Commission meetings are public.

* * * * * * * * * *

January 15, 1998 - 10:30 a.m.
400 R Street
First Floor Auditorium
Sacramento, California

Internal pay relationships among State officers: In 1990, the Commission established a State officer salary structure in which the Attorney General and Superintendent of Public Instruction each receive 85 percent of the Governor's salary rate, with all other "constitutional" officers (e.g. Lieutenant Governor, Controller, etc.) receiving 75 percent of that rate. In 1994 it raised the basic salary for a member of the Legislature to 60
percent of the Governor's salary. The Commission will be reviewing these internal pay relationships to determine if they should be changed.

Legislative leadership pay: In 1990, the Commission set pay rates for Speaker of the Assembly and President Pro Tem of the Senate that were 20 percent above the basic member salary rate. In addition, the salary rate
for the majority and minority floor leader in each house was set 10 percent above the member rate. These differentials continued until 1997, when the Commission voted to withhold the leaders from the four percent
increase received by other legislators. The Commission will be determining if leadership pay differentials should be continued.

* * * * * * * * * *

February 18, 1998 - 10:30 a.m.
Burbank City Council Chambers
275 East Olive Avenue - Second Floor

Legislators' session per diem: Legislators currently receive "session" per diem at the rate of $105/day while the Legislature is in session. This money is intended to cover their cost of living in Sacramento during
the legislative session. Even though session per diem is set by the State Board of Control, some parties have urged the Commission to consider it in setting legislative salaries, based on their belief that session per diem
is another source of income. The Commission will review this issue to determine what, if any, impact session per diem should have on Commission decisions.

Incentive pay: Some parties have suggested that the job performance of State officers be a consideration in setting their salaries. The Commission will consider this issue, including the question of whether legislators' salaries should be adjusted based on their timely passage of a State budget.

* * * * * * * * * *

March 26, 1998 - 10:30 a.m.
Burlingame City Council Chambers
501 Primrose Road
Burlingame, California

Guidelines for future cost-of-living increases: The Commission will consider whether one or more economic indicators, such as the Consumer Price Index or the Employment Cost Index, should be used as a guideline
for annual adjustments in State officer salaries.

1998 salary resolution: Proposition 112 requires that the Commission adopt a resolution by June 30 of each year specifying what, if any, changes should be made in State officer salaries, effective the following December. The Commission will discuss this issue and may adopt its 1998 resolution at this meeting.

_________________________

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this page authored by Kim Alexander,
kimalex@netcom.com

first published 1/12/98

last updated 1/13/98

© 1998, California Voter Foundation