Most Utahns, you'd think, want their government's payroll boiled down to a minimum. Many a political campaign has rung with cries for the trimmest possible government — not, "Let's add more to pad more."
But Salt Lake County's residents have chosen more government. In November 1998 they voted to trade the three-member County Commission for a panel that's three times as large: a county mayor and a nine-member County Council. It sounds like the recipe for a swollen payroll, and we know what that means eventually: swollen taxes.
But the news is fairly good. Even with 10 people instead of three in the commission chambers, their upkeep costs only 6.18 percent more than that previously budgeted for the ousted commissioners.
Of course, unforeseen needs may arise after the new officials are sworn in Jan. 3. They may want to hire more helpers. But for now, personnel director Felix McGowan has outlined a relatively conservative plan for the new council and mayor's staff. And though voters may not remember setting their salaries when choosing the new form of government, voter information pamphlets did include them back in '98.
County Mayor Nancy Workman's annual salary will be $94,500, up only 1.5 percent from commissioner pay. Her check will be just a little less than Gov. Mike Leavitt's $96,700. She'll appoint a deputy mayor for whom a salary hasn't been set. But for comparison's sake, Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson earns $91,687 while his deputy mayor's salary starts at $80,496 — about 87.5 percent of the boss's paycheck.
The county deputy mayor's salary, then, could be projected at 87.5 percent of the chief's, or $82,687.
All three at-large county councilors and six district council members will be paid $18,500 for their part-time work. But the newly elected men's expectations differ about exactly how much time the job will take.
"If it's more than 15 hours, I'll be angry. Or my wife will be angry," joked Steve Harmsen, the Republican who landed the four-year at-large B seat. Members of his party "are adamant that it remain a part-time position. We're not there to micromanage Salt Lake County. And if it takes more than 15 hours a week, I'll need a note from my wife."
Harmsen's ripe for a rude awakening, in the opinion of Salt Lake City Council Chairman Carlton Christensen. His position is officially part-time too, but Christensen says he devotes "billions and billions" of hours to it each week. Seriously, "It's probably a good 30 hours a week," he said.
Democrat Jim Bradley, the county's at-large C councilor, estimated the new council will need to hunker down for about 20 hours a week, especially in the first six months.
"A lot of people, who've never been in public office before, will need time to come up to speed, to understand all the intricacies" of the budget, Bradley said. Then it's on to wrestling with questions such as, "What do we do with limited revenues and the expectations out there" for services.
Bradley, a county commissioner from 1991-94, is confident the new councilors will be able to work together. "Of course, I wanted all the Democrats to win, but the Republicans who won are very good people."
The cost of the new mayor and council totals $261,000 a year. That's "minimal," said Bradley. "Compared to the county budget (of $500 million), it's nothing." He added that the new staff positions created to support the council are well-warranted. "You don't want to nickel-and-dime them, because there are going to be a lot of important decisions."
Winston Wilkinson, the District 5 councilman-elect, predicted spending a minimum of 20 hours per week on his county duties. "But we could make it a lot more than that," he said. Wilkinson, who helped write the charter for the executive-council government of Prince George's County, Md., added that the council members there were full-time workers.
Among the new positions to be filled by January is that of a public information officer. The old County Commission let its PIO go in January 1998 to save a little money, according to Commissioner Mark Shurtleff. But the man who held the job was simply moved to the county Parks and Recreation Division, where a new "recreation planner" position was created for him. Was any money saved? "Probably not," Shurtleff said. The recreation planner makes $46,200; the old PIO position paid between $39,960 and $58,872, according to the county personnel office.
The council's brand-new PIO will make $53,448 and like the other staffers will be hand-picked. Workman and her crew will appoint two financial analysts, two administrative assistants and one council staff manager, plus a deputy mayor. The salary hasn't yet been set for the deputy mayor, McGowan said. He added that "there may be some expansion" in the mayor's staff, "but there hasn't been any budgetary planning for that." He surmised that many current county employees would move into new council-mayor staff positions.
Much is left to be worked out, however, about how the sea of workers in county Human Services, Public Works and Community and Support Services will report to the 10 newcomers. The council and mayor haven't yet decided when or how often they will meet.
The one thing that is known: The new officials will gather in the old commission chambers, where nine microphones are already installed.
E-mail: durbani@desnews.com