By Khalida Sarwari
With the nearly year-long impasse proceedings between the Saratoga City Council and the city’s top directors having finally been exhausted, the city has resorted to imposing its last, best and final offer on the four employees.
On Nov. 18, the council unanimously voted to impose a contract on the directors of finance, planning, recreation and public works. Despite being in agreement that it was the right decision for the city, every council member appeared visibly conflicted about making the decision.
“It’s a very awkward situation to have your management organization not be able to come to terms with your council,” said Mayor Howard Miller. “There did not seem to be a compromise that was affordable, and it’s unfortunate that we ended up at this point.”
Regardless, said Miller, the city has done its due diligence in conducting surveys to ensure that the employees’ salaries are commensurate to those of similar positions in Los Gatos, Cupertino and Campbell, for example. “The data,” he said, “indicates our directors are fairly compensated.”
The directors make between $155,657 and $189,217 annually, excluding benefits, according to a database on the city’s website. According to a San Jose Mercury News salary database, last year directors John Cherbone, Mary Furey and Michael Taylor made $182,459, while the community development director position had a base salary of $100,669. That post is now occupied by Erwin Ordonez, who was hired in January to replace current city manager James Lindsay.
The city began negotiations with the four directors in February, and things came to a head in July when the city presented its last, best and final offer which the directors promptly rejected. What followed was a series of mediation sessions that didn’t go anywhere. Then in October, the city proposed a fact-finding mission, but the directors declined, requesting that the city impose a contract instead.
Three people addressed the council during the public comment period, among them former mayor and councilwoman Jill Hunter, who implored the council to support the employees through their words and actions.
“Fix this problem before the morale of the city workers is palpably degraded and affects every single resident of this city,” said Hunter.
She and resident Jeff Schwartz spoke especially in support of public works director Cherbone, who has been with the city for 25 years and has been an instrumental part of almost every city project, including the recently opened Saratoga Quarry Park. They praised Cherbone’s expertise and hard work.
“He’s quietly given heart and soul to the city,” said Schwartz. “That’s who you want to feel unappreciated, demoralized? You need to fix this.”
The new contract will stay in effect through June 2019, but the council agreed to reopen discussions with the employees during the next budget cycle. The employees do have the option of leaving the city, said Miller.
“We love our directors, [but] we’re just not in a position to give them every last thing that they wanted,” he said.
Link: Saratoga City Council makes final contract offer to four employees
