BY SARA TABIN
Daily Post Staff Writer
Los Altos City Manager Chris Jordan has suggested a salary freeze for upper-level management next year but his salary is not included in the proposal.
In a memo for next week’s council meeting, Jordan said the city should not give raises to 22 upper-level workers including Deputy City Manager Jon Maginot, who made $183,669.12 with benefits in 2018, and Police Chief Andy Galea, who made $278,252.12 in 2018.
Jordan said not giving out the raises will save $98,000. He said the city should give raises costing $7,000 to four non-union employees including his Executive Assistant Angel Rodriguez.
Jordan’s own salary, $245,095, is not part of the proposal.
Mayor Jan Pepper said Jordan has a separate contract for employment and is not part of the management and executive employees group.
Palo Alto City Manager Ed Shikada, who makes $403,729 with benefits, said Monday that he will take a voluntary 20% pay cut and recommended cutting management salaries by 15%.
Los Altos City Council will also consider pay raises of 2-3% for union employees at the same meeting next week. The city’s contracts with its municipal employee and police unions expire in late June, according to a memo from Human Resources Manager Jennifer Leal.
Leal said the two sides have agreed to a six-month extension of the contracts rather than negotiating new contracts because of the economic collapse stemming from the COVID-19 shutdown.
Raises will be doled out for the new pay period starting July 1. The memo doesn’t specify who will get a 2% rise and who will get a 3% raise.
The memo says the total cost of the raises will be $211,835.
Not exactly great leadership. Even if he has a separate contract, there’s nothing stopping Jordan from promising now to take a pay cut.
Let’s give Jordan credit where credit is due: He has no shame!