Steve Breen cartoon (Union-Tribune)

The readiness of the County Board of Supervisors and top county officials to make big decisions without caring what the public thinks was on full display in 2012. That’s when Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard announced his retirement at a board meeting, and supervisors waived rules to declare a sense of urgency and install Helen Robbins-Meyer, Ekard’s aide, as his replacement — without any public input. Ekard declared that day that he could say “without fear of legitimate contradiction” that the county was America’s “finest local government.”

Just not in terms of transparency, right?

Now the board is at it again — but worse. On Monday, four termed-out supervisors — Ron Roberts, Bill Horn, Greg Cox and Dianne Jacob — took a preliminary vote to give themselves two raises totaling 12.5 percent over the next year, increasing their salaries from $153,290 to $172,451 by changing the formula that calculates their base pay. This would also spike their pensions significantly, although the exact amount is not clear. How much public input was there? None. The pay and pension hike was on the consent calendar, meaning it was presented and passed as if it were an innocuous move akin to a resolution honoring a retiring department head.


Poll: Should county supervisors postpone a pay raise for their positions until after their terms end?

This is obnoxious. The Union-Tribune Editorial Board can say without fear of legitimate contradiction that the individual and collective reputations of Roberts, Horn, Cox and Jacob will be forever stained by their late-career pension spiking, if it wins final approval as scheduled on Jan. 10.

It is not just appalling to take such speedy action without any discussion. It is also hypocritical. Roberts, Horn, Cox and Jacob’s favorite narrative is how they’ve been tight-fisted guardians of county finances. In moving to stealthily boost their pensions by potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars, the four look more like gluttonous pigs at the trough.

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