The following is taken from a press release by the Orange County Employees Association — which, you’ll shortly discover, is pissed.
This surprise money grab is the problem you get when you elect your Supervisors while few voters are looking. Michelle Steel and Allan Mansoor may want to get in a word on this one — consider yourselves asked for comment — but Shawn Nelson is safe for another four years and Todd Spitzer is safe for two. Pat Bates wouldn’t have had an opponent at all to threaten her cakewalk in the 36th District State Senate race had Gary Kephart not waged a write-in campaign against her; Janet Nguyen needs to be attentive mostly because of her own State Senate race against Jose Solorio. (John Moorlach, we’re going to guess, will vote “no.” Surely he would not be the deciding “yes” vote. Right, John?)
So, below the picture of Board of Supervisors Chair Shawn Nelson’s Chief of Staff Dennis Bilodeau, enjoy reading about the OC Supervisors’ attempt to bolster the incomes of at least some members of the middle class (with your money.)
Orange County Supervisors are set to vote on a plan Tuesday that would establish—for the first time—job classifications and pay grades for political aides to county supervisors.
The proposal would hike the top pay for chiefs of staff from $112,881 to $131,123.
If enacted, the new policy would have supervisors’ most senior political aides join deputy sheriffs in securing a pay hike just after being required to pay into their own pensions.
Currently, there’s only one job classification for fifth floor offices, executive aide, and that salary range goes from $29,993 to $112,881.
The update was requested by the county Human Resources department.
“It is best practice to establish separate pay ranges for each of the four job classifications that are commensurate with the level of complexity and scope of responsibility for each class,” reads the staff report for Tuesday’s meeting.
“The changes proposed for your Board’s consideration are in alignment with equivalent internal classifications and will provide sufficient compensation to attract and retain competent staff for members of the Board and elected officials.”
The county’s largest union is already on the warpath over the proposal openly questioning supervisors on how there’s no money for rank and file raises but plenty of room for high-ranking political operatives.
If it’s just about establishing best practices, union officials question why the top end range is being adjusted…up by more than 15 percent.
This week, Jennifer Muir—assistant general manager for the Orange County Employees Association—send out a sharply worded message to his members opposing the proposal.
“The County workforce is divided into haves and have nots, insiders and outsiders, the favored few and everyone else,” Muir wrote.
“We’re everyone else. For us, the County is a place of limited resources, falling real wages and takeaways. But there’s another County, a County where the sky is the limit, a County where who you know is the only thing that matters, a County where you can get a huge wage increase in the blink of an eye.”
This proposal has the potential to be the latest in a series of controversies involving supervisors’ political aides and top county executives.
A 2010 county human resources audit found that county executives were granting themselves questionable raises and other ensuring disclosures have focused on supervisors’ political aides skirting merit selection rules for job recruitment as they shuffled back and forth between political offices, campaigns and county work.
In 2013, county HR officials changed hiring practices in reaction to hearings on state legislation that would have restricted county hiring practices.
Recently, County Supervisor Pat Bates questioned HR officials from the supervisors’ dais on those restrictions asking how they would deal with a wave of political aides from outgoing supervisors looking for jobs given the 2013 HR policy.
Under the new transfer policy, political aides that have never worked for a county department would have to go through competitive recruitment for jobs.
Meanwhile, employees who have previous department experience could simply transfer into open county jobs.
The new salary band up for debate Tuesday also solves a potential salary twist to the recent transfer of top executive Brian Probolsky from OC Community Resources into Bates’ office.
Probolsky, who also serves as an elected member of the Moulton Niguel Water District, took over as Bates’ chief of staff last month given that her longtime chief of staff, Don Hughes, is out on a family leave.
County officials said his chief of staff posting is considered a temporary reassignment so his job will stay open at OC Community Resources.
Except, he currently earns $122,886.40 according to county officials—far above the salary range of $112, 881 approved by supervisors.
Probolsky, who is is also currently being investigated by the human resources department because of discrepancies on his government timecard also drew attention when he originally transitioned from Bates office into OC Community Resources back in 2012, given that he secured an immediate 80 percent raise in salary. Probolsky had been working as an EA to Bates since 2010.
Tuesday’s meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. at the County Hall of Administration, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, CA
And, of course, he will retain the higher salary if and until his merit increase surpasses his current salary, under current rules.
*No matter what they make…..they do have to be pleasant at the various Christmas parties they are forced to attend. Many, try to hide out in their offices with a chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of Arrowhead water….just trying to blend in. Hey, $132K plus perks………pretty nice…… Is that for the standard 120 hours a week on call….or how many hours do they actually spend in the office or on the phones……doing constituent services? Attending all those Kiwanis Club meetings is pretty debilitating to the human spirit. Giving out all those various Supervisorial Community Awards is pretty tough too. Attending various board meetings and City Events in their District can certainly add up to a lot of miles on the personal vehicle and parking fees. Yeah, just waking up every morning and realizing the challenges of the coming day must be pretty tough…when dealing with those pesky Union Members and non elected Bureaucrats with an attitude. Who is going to go through all that aggravation for a measley $132K a year, plus perks and two free passes to Disneyland? Heck, somebody has to do this work……maybe we can cruise by the local Home Depot and find some Day Workers willing to fill in?
*Additionally, in all fairness we should mention the numerous addictions to “the Free Lunch Strategy Meetings” which these folks are forced to attend. Putting on those pounds really requires a Health Club Membership to get rid of some of those meaningless, non organic meals and the total committment to the high caffine black ice tea……or even worse the floral flavored variety. Soon, these same folks have too many free Chicken Dinners to attend and the obesity and diabetes risks rise appreciably. Those afternoon tactic meets to prepare for the next board meeting are also quite off putting. Just the mental strain of understanding the various personalities and egos would drive a normal person …..pretty crazy….requiring some sort or prescription drug to take the edge off. Add to that the carpal tunnel that you can get from too much texting, sexting and downloading public available documents and that salary of $132K plus perks .pensions….retirement……health insurance…..and car expenses…….and it makes one wonder: “Is it all really worth it?” Heck, Colson and Grass Valley…..are looking better every day! Maybe Colorado or Washington State….now that they have Legalized Recreational Marijuana?
*Boiler Plate Job Requirements:
County Special Assistant Board of Supervisors: Under general direction, incumbents independently perform a variety of legislative and administrative duties and/or special projects and program assignments for a member of the Board of Supervisors. Knowledge of legislative processes and analysis with emphasis on local government Principles and procedures of public administration, management, accounting, and budget preparation and control; Relationships among local, State and federal governments, public interest groups and private enterprise; Legislative processes of county, state and federal governments. Learn more and apply….. (if you know someone…of course!)
One of these 5 chiefs knows something big, and wants to be paid for keeping secrets. I’m sure it’s Dennis Billsomedough for doing nothing. This guy is a triple dipper or more – being Chief of Staff for Nelson, also a City of Orange Councilman (and as such sits on other Boards/Commissions and gets paid stipends and car allowances for most) and a water board member or something, where he continues to get caught submitting requests for payments for meetings he never attended – all of which occur when he is supposed to be working full time at the county getting this hefty salary. Now he is set to get even more for doing less! Nelson has no credibility for keeping this scumbag employed at the county. I’m sure it will be pushed right thru.
He clocked in at 20 hours a week in 2012. When he was at “work” he was almost always on his personal phone doing water or city stuff.
As I always say, Shawn Nelson entered office with a good angel on one shoulder and a bad angel on the other … and guess which one he fired?!
What did they do on this today? Haven’t seen any stories. The Voice is voiceless.
Postponed.
Ah, the bring it back when no one is looking routine. Gotcha!
The classics never go out of style.