Sheriff Curtis Hill is seen during a press conference in November following the death of a 19-month-old in San Benito County. The sheriff is among two elected officials to decline the county's request that his pay be reduced.
Sheriff Curtis Hill in noting his decision to decline a pay-cut request said his call was "70 percent personal" but he also contended that the action is "premature" and that the county should wait until the state budget is resolved.
"I'm used to working with the state budget process," Hill said.
A better approach to cutting at the state level, he said, would be targeting "big-ticket" items, he said.
"The only way we're going to get ourselves out of this is, programs have got to be cut - big things."
As far as his own salary goes, Hill also noted that a large chunk of the county's reserve - about $1.3 million to $1.5 million - is due to his office's past savings.
"The way this works for me - public safety is the No. 1 function of local government," he said. "And the San Benito County Sheriff's Office, compared with counties that are the same population as ours, I have half the deputies."
As county leaders face revenue declines and a most recently discussed $500,000 deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year, the six elected department heads were 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. Top officials 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. All five supervisors, meanwhile, have agreed to same 5 percent cut off of their respective, annual salaries of $44,700.
For an expanded story and salary information on all elected officers in San Benito County, see the Free Lance on Tuesday.
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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