Summary County of Mendocino Debt

Page Contents

1. Rapid Expansion of County Staff
2. Rapid Expansion of Average County Employee Salary and Benefits
3. Rapid Increase in Total Staff Expenses

Rapid Expansion of County Staff

Comparing Mendocino with other counties regarding numbers and payroll of County employees per capita is not very meaningful. Mendocino has a much higher proportion of people residing outside cities than average. Therefore our County has to provide services to a higher percentage of residents. Mendocino County can be expected to have a higher number of County employees and payroll per capita than most counties.

But comparing the percentage change in County employees and payroll per capita is meaningful. Why would our County be expected to increase the numbers and payroll of employees per capita faster than other counties?

From 1997 thru 2002 the County added 413 "funded positions", a 39% increase. This was 10 times faster than the underlying growth of the County's population. The County was 5th out of 57 California counties in increasing numbers of employees per capita during those years – 2.5 times faster than average.

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Rapid Expansion of Average County Employee Salary and Benefits

The County accepted key recommendations of the "Slavin Study" in 2000. Slavin recommended that the County increase its payscales to match those of certain other counties. This table shows the average salary and benefits for all Mendocino County employees (full time basis).

Average Planned Salary, Benefits, and Other Staff Expense
per County of Mendocino Employee

( NOTE: We were originally told by County budget officials that the County developed its Proposed Budget assuming a "status quo" staff level – no change. However, turns out that an additional 27 positions were added. Our original calculation was that average salary and benefits were planned to be over $70,000, but the number is really $68,608.)

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Rapid Increase in Total Staff Expenses

After 1997 the County rapidly increased the numbers of County employees, and after 2000 rapidly increased payscale and benefits per employee. The Slavin Study indicated that if its recommendations were implemented Total Salaries would rise between $2.4 to $3.4 million. Instead, over the next two years, Total Salaries increased nearly $12 million – much higher than Slavin had suggested.

Total County of Mendocino Staff Expenses

The County's staff costs 2 1/3 times more today than it did 10 years ago. Ten years ago County staff expense consumed about 2/3's of the County's Operational Budget; today it's 3/4.

Total Budgeted Salary increased slightly faster per year after Slavin than before. Growth in Total Salaries before Slavin was driven by the rapid increase in numbers of County staff. After Slavin growth was driven by increasing Average Salaries. Total Benefits increased much faster after Slavin. In fact they nearly doubled. Total Benefits have been growing nearly 12% a year since Slavin.

The County of Mendocino was 4th out of 57 counties in increasing payroll per capita. The County's payroll per county resident increased 73.5% during these years, almost twice as fast than the average growth rate for California Counties of 38.4%.

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