LA city top managers, nonunion workers get 4 percent raises

Wednesday December 18, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) Without public discussion, the City Council voted to award 4 percent pay raises to top managers and 9,000 other nonunion municipal workers.

The council on Tuesday approved the salary package, which will cost $6 million and includes raises that hike the salaries of 15 general managers above $200,000 by 2004 and for the first time boost one city official's salary to more than $300,000.

City officials said the 4 percent cost-of-living raises, retroactive to July 2001, are relatively small and well-deserved. Inflation has been 2.2 percent since November 2001, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and in January.

Some taxpayer advocates said the amounts, especially for general managers, seemed excessive, especially at a time when the state and city are facing budget shortages.

``That's outrageous,'' said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. ``When the state is going to have to lay off people and local governments are screaming at the state, saying don't touch our money, for them to be giving any raises at all is extraordinarily inappropriate.''

In Orange County on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved 3.75 percent raises, effective Jan. 10, for 14 top county executives.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)