Once again, this week’s installment. I can hear the phones ringing already on this one:
West Covina Councilman Roger Hernandez had an interesting idea last week about how to save the city some dough: Get rid of the public information officer.
It wasn’t anything personal, he said. He just didn’t understand why a city really needed a PIO, a position that reaps nearly $100,000 annually in West Covina, including benefits.
As expected, the suggestion didn’t sit well with everyone — namely the PIO herself, Sue Williams, and Councilman Mike Touhey, who said Hernandez’s public recommendation violated employee rights.
Whether Williams’ position should get axed is a discussion for the council and city management. But the suggestion brings up an interesting question: What are the responsibilities of PIOs and how effective are they, considering some of them make over a $100,000 a year?
As reporters, we’re used to working with PIOs. Often, agencies will make us run our questions by them first before getting any information.
And on some occasions, these media liaisons are extremely helpful.
In Los Angeles County, Judy Hammond is the premier PIO. Any time we’ve got questions, she’s got answers, or at least she knows from whom we can get the answers from.
But this is an agency with a budget in the billions, thousands of employees, and a directory that is so confusing it actually saves time to go through the PIO instead of leaving messages in the voice mail black hole.
The question then becomes whether smaller agencies like Covina, Rosemead, El Monte, Pico Rivera and Pasadena need such positions.
While each of these cities would prefer we go through their PIOs for all questions, we often find it is easier and quicker to just sidestep and go straight to the source.
So if reporters are avoiding these liaisons, what else are they doing and who else are they talking to? And is their job really worth $100,000?
In La Puente, city officials chose earlier this year to “redirect” the funds that normally went to PIO Jeff Schenkel into another program. His contract didn’t go over $25,000 annually.
Touhey said that in West Covina, it has been the PIO’s role to manage the newsletter, press releases, and the cable program — when it was running.
In Pasadena, the vision is clear: “The Public Affairs Division is the information link between city government, the community and the media.” It produces the community newsletter, prepares and distributes news releases, and answers media inquiries.
In Rosemead, the responsibility of the PIO, whose base salary is $84,000, ranges from managing and upgrading the city’s Web site to publicizing city programs.
She also has an intern and staff assisting her.
“There is a misperception out there about the position. Some people wonder, ‘What does a public affairs person really do?'” Rosemead City Manager Oliver Chi said. “But in Rosemead, we send a ton of responsibilities her way.”
