Larry Dees Year To Date 12-05-08 168,356.58
Phil Lawler 135,260.31
Ray McDowell 119,427.94
Brad Bruington 109,821.40
Thomas Stevenson 140,716.66
Chuck Roy 132,970.62

These government salaries are competitive with those sorts of positions and the people holding the positions have a lot of years in their jobs. They could in many cases leave for the private sector if their salaries were not in that general ballpark although usually they are taking a cut from what they’d get in the private sector. The problem here is the great salary divide - we’ve got people with college educations making $30-50K in some fields and $150-250K in others and everyone feels middle class and financially stressed. Believe me that the people making $200K do.

For example … for 2009/2010 the Irvine Ranch Water District – Board of Directors gave themselves a 5% compensation increase … in order to appease the rank-n-file employees … they also gave all IRWD employees a 8.96% salary increase and cost of living increase for 2009/2010.

While thousands of Orange County residents/consumer/taxpayers, State Employees, County Employees, Private Sector employees, etc., are losing their jobs, having their salaries and wages reduced, thousands of people being furrowed, and thousands losing their homes … all in the worst economic downturn in 70 years …the Irvine Ranch Water District – Board of Directors and their employees are “fat, dumb, and happy” … picking the Orange County residents wallets.

To pay for the salary increases, last month the Irvine Ranch Water District – Board of Directors doubled and tripled “Component” water rates to citizens and taxpayers … then they doubled reconnection fees in the event of shutoff (in an economy with thousand s struggling to pay bills and losing their jobs).

Water Districts in the State of California are like Democratic Assembly … they are completely out of control with spending - they have absolutely no regard for resident-taxpayer money … because they know there is no reporting by the major newspapers in southern California ,,, they are not accountable to any authority.

Under their self-written District charters they are allowed to give themselves salary increases, “special bonuses”, cost of living increases, retirement pension increases, health benefit increases … all without any oversight or without any voter and taxpayer approval.

The people listed above run businesses ranging from $20M to $100+ million, report to five elected (by all of us) Board members and are responsible for the safety and reliability of our water system. So who would want that job?

We recently watched the meltdown of the mortage industry and their salaries were ten fold what these guys make and some of their severance packages were in the millions.

I think these GMs all should go to work for the private sector and make more money, not be accountable to the public and not be in the fish bowl of a public employee. We could then hire some $50,000 per year managers to provide for the future essential water that makes the OC what it is today. Nice suggestion person above.