Marshal Robert Scattini told the Free Lance he offered to take a 5 percent pay cut but a county administration official passed on the word that his reduction - amounting to about $1,700 - is unnecessary.
As county leaders face revenue declines and a most recently discussed $500,000 deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year, Scattini was among six elected department heads asked to accept the 5 percent reduction.
Administrators had established a voluntary time-off program for all other employees with the maximum in lost income amounting to 5 percent of those workers' salaries. While top officials approached the elected leaders about the cuts, they also have indicated the county has asked the 11 other department heads - who are appointed - to take the same hit, and that they all are expected to accept the request.
Those 11 department heads have less choice, in reality, than the elected officers.
For elected leaders, the county cannot mandate such a pay reduction. Those officials must voluntarily accept it. Assistant administrator Rich Inman noted how three elected department heads - the district attorney, assessor and clerk - indicated they will take the cut. That left three others who, it had appeared, declined the request.
When questioned Friday, however, Scattini pointed out that he offered to accept the same 5 percent reduction. He said on June 19 he told Joe Paul Gonzalez, the clerk/recorder/auditor who was handling the paperwork, he would accept the cut. Scattini said that on the following Monday, after relaying his decision that Friday, Gonzalez called him and informed him "administration didn't want to take my money."
The marshal, in the position since 1988, said he was surprised when he heard the news.
From what he understood, Scattini said, "they figure my pay is too low to start with."
Scattini's base salary is $33,800, while he earns variable, additional income by serving court documents. The cut would reduce his salary by precisely $1,688.
"I'm really low in pay anyway, but I figured, if everybody in the county's doing it, that was a good gesture," he said.
Neither Gonzalez nor County Administration Officer Susan Thompson could be reached before publication.
Inman, however, said he didn't "know anything about" the department turning back Scattini's offer.
"I don't know why we would decline," he said. "It wasn't me."
Aside from pay cuts, administrators over the past several months have signaled they are closely watching expenses, while anticipating a potentially grim outlook and awaiting state budget cuts, by eliminating such workplace standards as coffee and water service. Supervisors also recently have contended that the annual travel budget approaching $500,000 a year would be curtailed in these uncertain times.
Kollin Kosmicki Kollin Kosmicki is editor of the Free Lance and Pinnacle. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or editor@freelancenews.com.
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