Not all council pay issues settled

Jeffrey Libby

Thursday, April 5, 2001 | 10:56 a.m.

Boulder City Councilmen during Tuesday's primary lost their bid for unprecedented mid-term salary raises. The question June 5 will be whether current salaries will be cut in half.

Voters face two proposed charter amendments drafted by opposing sides of a divided council. The amendments will be the only local items on the ballot.

One, put forward by Councilman Joe Hardy and supported by the majority of the council, would amend the charter to provide clear language prohibiting mid-term raises in the future.

The other, a citizen-driven initiative led by Councilman Bill Smith, would limit council members' pay to the current base salary of $10,674 plus reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. The mayor earns a base salary of $13,243.

Monthly auto and health benefits that add another $11,400 in compensation would be eliminated through Smith's amendment.

Many have said Smith's initiative is "punitive."

It will likely spark a second ad campaign by the Boulder City Defense League, an ad-hoc citizen's group. The group spent $1,782 in an unsuccessful attempt to preserve the $5,000 raises for council members in the primary. The mayor would have earned an $8,000 raise.

Dib Campbell, a spokesman for the group, said no decisions have been made, but the group plans to meet in the next few days to map out a strategy. As of last month, the group still held close to $1,000 in campaign funds.

"We are just a small part of the megalopolis here in the valley," Campbell said. "We have to stand up for our issues and defend our needs. To do that effectively we have to have people willing to put the effort out."

To find those people takes fair compensation, Campbell said.

Councilman Mike Pacini, who easily won re-election to his second four-year term Tuesday, said he will "start waving the banner" against Smith's initiative immediately.

Mayor Bob Ferraro was hardest hit by the loss of the raises. In addition to the pay increase, he would have gained an increase of $300 in monthly retirement benefits.

As part of his 1999 mayoral campaign Ferraro said he would retire in 2003. He said Wednesday he might reconsider that pledge.

"I don't know at this time. A lot of people have urged me since then (the 1999 campaign) to reconsider. So I haven't made that decision yet," Ferraro said.

Smith, who is stepping down after one four-year term, said his measure is not punitive.

"I'm just trying to make Boulder City as ethically operated as the rest of the valley," he said.