Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Measure C: LIMITS ON CITY ADMINISTRATION COMPENSATION

Murrieta’s city manager makes a monthly salary of $17,500 per month ($210,000 annually) with full benefits. Murrieta exceeds the maximum for a city manager for a city of our size by almost a factor of two (payscale.com). The U.S. President makes $400K/yr, the U.S. Vice President makes $212,100/yr, the U.S. Chief Justice makes $212,100/yr, and a U.S. Senator or Representative makes $165,200. The average VP of Human Resources for a non-profit organization makes about $93K. General Petraeus, head of the Iraq and Afghan American forces, makes roughly $180K a year give our take ten or twenty thousand dollars due to combat pay. City Manager salaries are a symptom of a run-away government that needs to be limited. The present median family income for a family/household in Murrieta is approximately $80,000 per year. No city manager nor their direct reports should receive a salary and/or hourly rate plus benefits exceeding 2.5 times the city’s annual median family income per year. This will put the city manager’s salary with benefits at or around $200K per year. This proposal will redefine the focus of city management to work harder in attracting higher end jobs and businesses, as well as put an end to out of control government salaries while allowing just compensation for the average city employee, policeman, fireman, and/or other emergency personnel.No chief city administrative official(s), including city manager and their direct reports, shall have annual salaries with benefits or a combined hourly rate with overtime and benefits that exceeds a rate of 2.5 times the median family/household income of the people of Murrieta. Benefits include, but are not limited to, car, gas, life insurance, health/medical insurance, and any other personal usage benefits. Fire, police, and other emergency public safety personnel are excluded from this initiative. This law would be waived during States of Emergency except those that are budgetary or administrative in nature.
Click here for petition C Download

Measure B: LIMITS ON CITY COUNCIL COMPENSATION

The City Council monthly stipend based on 15% of the median family/household for the City of Murrieta is presently equivalent to State recommendations of $1,200. Murrieta’s median family/household income is about $80,000. Larger median family/household incomes would allow larger city council stipends. This gives the City Council an incentive to improve the economic base of the City of Murrieta. It was never the intent of the State law for volunteer city council members to receive pensions, club memberships, full medical care, etc. This law would bar the city council of benefits that far exceeds the intention of the State Code § 36516, however, this code does not prevent city council members from receiving even greater benefits that are not representative of the people they govern.The ordinance proposed by initiative petition would limit the City Council members stipend to 15% of the median family/household income of the people of Murrieta. This ordinance would limit them from receiving any other personal benefits including, but not limited to club memberships, medical and life insurance, and pensions. The proposed ordinance would require that any increase in City Council benefits be by a vote of a super-majority of the registered voters of Murrieta, or fifty-five percent (55%). The proposed cap on City Council benefits would be exclusive of any amounts payable to each City Council member as reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties for the City, as provided by section 36514.5 of the Government Code. The proposed ordinance would require that such reimbursement be established by a policy resolution adopted by the City Council. Click here for petition B

Measure A: ELECTED OFFICIAL TERM LIMITS

In order to broaden the opportunities for public service and to assure that elected officials of government are responsive to the citizens of the government, no elected official of the City of Murrieta or any other political subdivision of the City of Murrieta shall serve more than two consecutive terms in office.The ordinance proposed by initiative petition would prohibit elected officials of the City of Murrieta and any of its political subdivisions from serving more than two consecutive terms in office. For purposes of the proposed ordinance, terms are considered consecutive unless they are at least four years apart and a term is defined as four (4) years.
Click here for petition ADownload