Drafter
Clerk 12/16/2008
Title
A MOTION relating to King County councilmembers individually committing to limit the increase in their net salaries in 2009 to the amount of net wage or salary increase as furloughed employees by making donations to the general fund in the amount of that difference.
Body
WHEREAS, the county is experiencing an unprecedented financial emergency resulting in a significant shortfall in the amount of funding needed to sustain the current level of general operations through 2009, and
WHEREAS, in order to preserve certain services and reduce the necessity for additional reductions in force, the county will shut down all but essential services and place nonessential employees on an unpaid furlough, also known as an emergency budget furlough, for ten days in 2009, and
WHEREAS, the legislative branch is committed to making similar sacrifices and ensuring that every agency does its part to preserve core services through implementation of an emergency furlough program in our offices for ten days next year, and
WHEREAS, county employees are eligible for a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2009 that, after offsetting the reduction in actual pay from a ten day unpaid furlough, will provide for approximately an effective one percent increase in wages or salary.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
We believe that as elected officials we need to make the same personal sacrifices that we are asking of our valued county employees. Therefore, we individually commit to limit our net salaries to the same effective wage or salary increase of approximately one percent that has been negotiated with represented employees and is also adopted for non-represented employees.
Because the Washington state Constitution and state law do not legally permit elected officials to change their salaries during their current term of office, we must seek an alternative method of generating savings. We will donate to the county...
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