Derry pushing to roll back "lavish" benefits packages for supervisors
Third District Supervisor Neil Derry is proposing an ordinance that would roll back what he calls "lavish" and "excessive" benefits packages for the Board of Supervisors.
In June 2007, the Board of Supervisors approved a benefits package for supervisors of about $30,000 that included increased county contributions to retirement accounts and an all expenses taxpayer-paid medical plan. Derry said the consent calendar item was buried within the agenda with a non-descript label and ratified by the board with less than a minute of discussion.
"They were ridiculously excessive then and even more so now in light of our economic and budget situation," Derry said in a news release. "And the manner in which these benefits were passed was regrettable.
"If we are going to ask county employees to make sacrifices to balance our budget then the Board of Supervisors must lead by example," Derry said.
Derry has built a platform on cutting back on government waste, i.e. excessive or overly generous pay, benefits packages and other perks for top county officials and those in law enforcement in the wake of a gaping budget deficit. He attempted to do away with an annual $20,000 county-funded benefits package for San Bernardino County Superior Court judges who already receive $200,000 a year in salaries and benefits from the State of California.
Derry says the judges' benefits are unneccessary given their high salaries, and cost county taxpayers nearly $1.5 million a year. His motion before the Board of Supervisors did not receive a second from his four colleagues.
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