Burbank City Council approves increase in its salary

July 25--A proposed 20% raise in salaries for Burbank City Council members got a little sweeter this week when a council majority introduced an ordinance and approved a resolution outlining the pay hike and other changes to their benefits in a pair of 3-2 votes on Tuesday. It's the first increase in council salary since 2007.

The action increased the monthly salary by $215 a month -- from $1,075 to $1,290 -- doubled each member's life insurance coverage from $50,000 to $100,000 each, and upped accidental death and dismemberment insurance coverage from $52,000 to $102,000.

Those were all changes the council had asked for last month when they approved a 6.5% raise for City Atty. Amy Albano.

The change also eliminated the portion of the employee pension contribution, or 4% of a council member's salary, the city was paying into the Public Employees Retirement System on behalf of the three council members who opted to receive state pension benefits. They will now pay the full 8% employee contribution, somewhat offsetting their raise.

Also included in the resolution that the city's Management Services Director Betsy Dolan brought forward Tuesday evening was a provision to increase an annual wellness benefit from $500 to $1,000 for reimbursement of physical examinations, in line with similar benefits for the city's executives -- but that's the change that got sweetened.

Councilman Jess Talamantes, noting some benefits other city employees receive, such as gym access and reimbursements for gym memberships and exercise classes, successfully lobbied to have the definition of the wellness benefit for council members revised to mirror that of a wellness program for other city employees.

"You can see that we're trying to get our employees physically fit," he said, after reading several definitions of the term wellness. "That's why I'm asking my colleagues ... just to not be so restrictive with the definition of wellness and allow maybe a nutrition program ... exercise program ... or even ... offset 50% of a gymnasium cost."

Talamantes said his own medical insurance pays for physical exams already and questioned the point of having "a perk if nobody uses it." Even after expanding what qualifies for reimbursement, he said, council members don't have to use the benefit unless they want to.

Just before 11 p.m., more than six hours into the nearly eight-hour meeting, City Manager Mark Scott said that the council could change the policy on reimbursements if they would like.

"Just remember that a good night's sleep is part of fitness, too," Scott added.

Dolan said the annual cost for the salary and benefits changes would be roughly $15,750, "a pretty de minimis impact" to the fiscal year budget for 2015-16. Changing the details of what is reimbursable does not change the amount allotted to the reimbursements, but Dolan said it may have different tax implications for the members, depending on what's reimbursed.

Mayor Bob Frutos opposed the changes, noting that council members serve on a part-time basis. He and Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy had opposed the idea when it was discussed last month, too.

"I ran to serve and, frankly, I can't support it," he said.

Gabel-Luddy again joined him in opposition, adding that she would work with the City Clerk to ensure that the net increase to her own salary is distributed to nonprofits in the community.

David Gordon, noting that he is "battling that battle of the bulge," supported Talamanates' proposal and said he thought it was important for council members to stay fit. He added that while the city provides food for council members during their meetings, it's not exactly compatible with the Weight Watchers program.

Councilman Will Rogers, who also supported the changes, provided a peek at the food provided to council members.

"It's about time somebody disclosed this to the public," said the former Burbank Leader columnist, holding up a plastic bin filled with candy. "This is at either end of the dais -- No veggies."

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