EVERETT – Though it came as no surprise to most, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon on Monday vetoed salary raises for elected county officials.
The County Council has the next move, which could include a possible override of the veto Wednesday, said Gary Nelson, council chairman.
Earlier this month, the council approved the raises after an independent salary commission proposed the $329,078 in salary increases through 2008.
Reardon said the raises are improper at a time when the county is trying to get back on its feet financially. It jeopardizes the balanced budget and undermines the county’s 2,700 employees who received smaller raises, he said.
“I didn’t run for this office because of the wages it paid and not because of pay increases, and I don’t believe any other elected official did that either,” Reardon said. “It’s a public service and sometimes that means making sacrifices.”
Nelson said an informal poll of council members last week showed support for an override.
“I will (vote to override), but I can’t say how many others will,” Nelson said.
Four of the five council members must vote in favor of the salary increases to override Reardon’s veto.
If the council doesn’t override, Reardon will have in effect rescinded salary increases for himself, and also the sheriff, auditor, assessor, treasurer and clerk, who were scheduled to receive the raises in 2006.
Council members would also have received raises but not until 2008, after all five had stood for re-election.
The salary commission meets every other year to review and recommend salaries for the top elected officials, who currently earn slightly more than $1 million between them. The largest proposed salary increase was 19 percent over two years for the county clerk and treasurer, an increase of $15,000.
The salary proposal gave the assessor, auditor, clerk and treasurer the same $98,500 salary starting in 2007. The four sought equal salaries two years ago without success.
In August, Reardon said he didn’t want his 13 percent raise over two years that the salary commission had proposed. On the eve of labor union votes, he asked that elected officials instead receive a raise equal to employees’ raises, about 2 percent. Reardon’s was the only salary reduced by the council’s vote.
The new salaries would have put Snohomish County, ranked third in the state by population and number of county employees, in about third place for salaries. King and Pierce counties consistently rank higher for population, number of employees and salaries.
Reporter Jennifer Warnick: 425-339-3429 or jwarnick@heraldnet.com.
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