I still think the mayor’s pay raise was not justified

I am writing in response to Sharon Hood’s March 4 letter to editor regarding the justification the Redmond mayor’s 18 percent pay raise for next year. Her letter also comments on “Taxing Redmond Businesses” and “City Water and Treatment Fees.” However, for this letter I will only address the mayor’s pay raise as not to cloud the topic with other issues.

April 7, 2011 2:12 pm

I am writing in response to Sharon Hood’s March 4 letter to editor regarding the justification the Redmond mayor’s 18 percent pay raise for next year.

Her letter also comments on “Taxing Redmond Businesses” and “City Water and Treatment Fees.”  However, for this letter I will only address the mayor’s pay raise as not to cloud the topic with other issues.

Ms. Hood strongly believes the mayor’s 18 percent salary increase was justified based upon:

• A 2007 QFC parking lot discussion with me while she was on the Salary Commission;

• The Mayor’s courteous style, priority-based budgeting philosophy and policy of citizen-friendly government;

• That he has transformed our civic behavior. I find it troubling that such a substantial pay increase in a troubled economy is based on parking lot conversations, general attributes, and unsubstantiated civil behavior changes.

Now I don’t recall that parking lot conversation back in 2007, let alone the amount of detail that Sharon Hood is conveniently paraphrasing for her point; however, I do agree that the mayor’s salary needs to attract qualified candidates. I also believe that the salary needs to be realistic and in proportion to the economic realities that we face.

So what are those realities? First, the economy continues to struggle and there are serious budget shortfalls for both state and local governments.  Next, Redmond laid off 20 workers with the passage of this budget; these layoffs followed the layoffs of 22 workers the year before.  Did anyone check to see if these 42 workers had a front-face courteous style?

I imagine that more than a couple did. Finally, the city workers that did keep their jobs gave up a 2 percent cost of living adjustment to aid a gap in the Redmond budget.

The citizens and employees of the City of Redmond deserve better. If the employees and citizens of Redmond are giving up so much so that the mayor can have such a substantial pay raise, then Ms. Hood should at least justify it with something more concrete than talking to me while I was grocery shopping in 2007.

Jim Robinson, Former Redmond City Council member, 1992-2007