As a 30 year resident of “Alice in Wonderland,” AKA the city of Mission Viejo, nothing that our city staff promotes surprises me. A lead story on the front page of today’s OC Register reads: “county pay cuts start at the top.” The story reports that “They (the Board of Supervisors) voted unanimously to cut their pay, as well as pay for 100 executives and department heads by 5 percent.” The Board is to be commended as they lead by example as they struggle with their financial shortfall.
Now let’s shift gears and view the upcoming, June 15th, Mission Viejo city council meeting. Agenda Item #18, which is included under “routine” items, has a title which reads. “Approve Resolution No. 09-XX, amending the City’s Salary Schedule and establishing salary ranges for authorized job classifications.”
Under the Executive Summary, on the same page, it opens stating that “staff recommends one change to be made to the City’s current Salary Schedule, relating to hourly rate for the Temporary Employee classification.”
Juice readers. This proposal calls for increasing the current wage cap from $75 to $100 per hour for temporary workers. That’s a 25 percent jump. The Executive Summary goes on to state that “Given inflation since 2002, it is anticipated that the current $75 hourly maximum may not be sufficient to attract individuals with the level of experience and knowledge that is needed.”
Are they serious?
In this economic climate we raise wages for part-time staff when 1.6 million Americans have lost their jobs this year?
I am sure that there are qualified, unemployed residents that would love to have a job at any pay scale.
Yet there are those who question our current efforts to Recall one of the worst offenders on the currently serving city council when it relates to being the guardian of the taxpayers funds. It will be interesting to see how the debate, if any, and vote on this “routine” issue is addressed on Monday.
I think they are talking about consultants like soil engineers, civil engineers, biologists, architectural historians who have years of experience to help with special reports…not temporary secretaries or maintenance workers. And actually even $100/hr is pretty low by today’s standards for qualified construction or environmental professionals.
Good points, Larry. This “wrong way” council majority is out of step with the community and oblivious to the economy. I’m watching the city mis-manager make a big to-do over a hiring freeze. Is he posturing for the public while adding employees as temporary help?
Get MacLean outta there! No one should expect improvement until the majority changes.
Larry Going form 75 to 100 $ per hour is a 33.33% Increase! 25% would be a bargain!
ocgirl.
The job classifications tha t you can see on our city web site listing of the Agenda include: Assistant planner, assistant city clerk, community services coordinator, animal services volunteer coordinatior, accounting clerk A & B, H.R. analyst, library clerks A & B, library assistants A & B, etc.
Nope. No soil engineers or jobs in that category.
While the OC supervisors are cutting American job’s; whether you believe they are overpaid or not, it is so ridiculous they are spending million’s of tax payer money for social programs that target’s Mexican Citizens that have entered this country illegally.
OC needs to look at what these republicans supervisors are doing. Have a look at caloptima, Healthy Kids Progam, which is a program that gives over 34,000 of mexico’s poor free health insurance because they can’t get Medical,healthy families insurance. WHY NOT!! because they are not legal citizen’s.
They are not doing it from the goodness of their hearts, all the money goes to their not for profit friends!! CHOC CLINICS,COALITION OF COMMUNITY CLINIC (LOU CORREA ON THE BOARD)BRIDGES IN THE HOSPITALS,LATINA ACCESS, ECT………….
Heads on a stick, we need to recall all of them!!
Mark.
You can look at the increase either way. The bottom line is that this proposed increased scale demonstrates how out of touch our city leaders are as it relates to the pain and suffering by so many in this city, state, and country.
Why now? What is driving this agenda item anyway?
Just wait too see what the council has to say, if in fact they even pull this item for discussion, or the majority will simply rubber stamp it just as they may with our “routine” OCSD contract.
Thank you for providing additional info on the job classifications — low level of skill and not worth much. I laughed out loud at the city’s statement, “$75 hourly maximum may not be sufficient to attract individuals with the level of experience and knowledge that is needed.” Are they kidding? Look how the city screws up everything it touches! Even in an employer’s market, they deliberately hire and promote incompetents, e.g., the bozo who has stopped traffic on Crown Valley for three years.
l wll work in liberry. I am good at letters and cypherin
deadwhitemale.
U need to chick city jobs. Simplee call 949.470.3000