Marisa O'Neil
The financial picture at the local community college district has
been severe and well publicized: More than 1,000 classes cut, the
sale of the KOCE television station for extra cash, offices and
campuses closed on Friday and on top of it all, managing to become
financially solvent enough to just get off a state fiscal watch list.
So this week's decision to substantially raise the salaries of the
Coast Community College District's highest-paid employees has caused
an uproar with students and some faculty.
"The timing is pretty insensitive," said Madeline Levy, student
trustee for the district's board. "[The raises] won't push more
students out of classes, but we could have added more than we have
now."
Trustees voted 4 to 1 to raise the salaries of its college
presidents and vice chancellors from the current range of $129,631 to
$131,805 up to $145,000 to $160,000.
The district has three vice chancellors and three presidents.
According to district reports, the raises will total $92,214.
A motion to raise the chancellor's salary from $186,608 to
$190,000, plus $10,000 for travel and mileage expenses passed by the
same margin.
Those in favor argued that the higher salaries are needed to
attract the talent needed to effectively lead the district. Those
against question the timing of the move and the size of the increase.
"I think the increase is way too much," said trustee Jerry
Patterson, the sole vote against the raises. "We have good people
here who do a good job, but nobody ever gets paid what they think
they should be paid."
Patterson proposed merit-based raises after performance reviews,
rather than automatic step-ups and additional cost of living
increases, but his motion did not pass. As it stands, the salaries
will start at $145,000 and increase to $160,000.
Trustee George Brown agreed that the higher pay is necessary to
attract the quality of candidates they want to maintain or raise the
district's standards. The sale of KOCE-TV, leasing of district-owned
land and passage of a school-improvement bond, he said, will mean
close to $4 million more for the district each year, which will cover
the raises.
"And good supervisors can go in and organize the school district,"
he said. "They can streamline things and get them in line and get
more money for faculty and teachers."
ATTRACTIVE OFFERS
The money spent on the raises in the first year could go to
restore 28 classes for students, said Kristina Bruning, president of
the faculty union for the district.
