At its May 21 meeting and again at the June 4 meeting, the County Board
of Supervisors will approve two ordinances raising their salaries and
those of the County’s other elected officials, e.g., the Sheriff and the
County Auditor.

“For most of these elected officials, these ordinances were last
addressed in 2014,” County Executive Officer, Jeff Van Wagenen, wrote In
his memorandum to the board. “. . . Human Resources determined that the
compensation for elected officials has not kept pace with either the
salaries paid to their subordinates or to similarly situated officials
in surrounding counties.”

The salaries for the other elected officials have basically been
unchanged for 10 years, since 2014. The one exception was the salary for
the District Attorney, which was not changed in 2014; but in 2018, the
Supervisors made the adjustment.

Supervisors’ salaries have been 80% of a California Superior Court judge
since 1998. This year, a Riverside County Supervisor’s salary is
$190,783. However, a Supervisor’s chief of staff can earn $198,561.

Van Wagenen also noted that Riverside County has the fourth largest
population in California and the tenth largest in the United States.
Neighboring counties –Orange and San Bernardino– have established
supervisor salaries at the same level as Riverside. However, San Diego
supervisors can earn $ 214,631 and Los Angeles supervisors are paid $
238,479.

The salary differences between the levels at neighboring counties as
well as with senior staff is a disparity, according to Van Wagenen.

Proposed Ordinance 780.4 would set the Riverside County Supervisor
salary at 14% greater than a chief of staff may earn rather than the
current rate of 80% of a superior court judge. Thus the new salary for
Riverside supervisors will be $226,359.49.

Below is a comparison of the current salary of the County’s elected
officials to neighboring counties and their senior staff and the
proposed new salary level.

Ordinance 781.16 would establish the elected official’s new salary and
future salaries at 14% greater than their senior staff, e.g., Assistant
County Auditor-Controller or Undersheriff.

Both ordinances must be approved at two different meetings. If approved,
the new supervisorial salaries are effective in 60 days. The new
salaries for the other county officials will be effective in 30 days.