Responding to criticism about the cost of its salary and benefits, the Yucca Valley Town Council took a close look at its compensation at its meeting last night. Managing editor Tami Roleff says while the Council as a whole agreed not to change its compensation, one council member is having second thoughts about the benefits…
Council members are paid $488 a month (an amount they all agreed doesn’t even begin to cover their costs associated with serving on the council), and are given an allowance of $1,050 a month which they can use to purchase health insurance, among other benefits. Three of the five council members—Merl Abel, Robert Leone, and Dawn Rowe—receive insurance coverage from other sources, and have therefore opted out of the Town’s insurance plan. George Huntington’s insurance costs the Town only $100 a month, while Robert Lombardo’s insurance costs the Town $877 a month. Confronted with the high cost of his benefit package, Lombardo said he is reconsidering his options. “I didn’t realize until recently what the cost of that was to the Town. I am exploring other options that will allow me to opt out of the medical benefits, but they won’t take effect until January 1, 2014.” The Council agreed not to change the terms of its benefit package (which under state law wouldn’t take effect until after the next election in 2014 anyway), and received and filed the compensation report.
YUCCA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS EXAMINE THEIR OWN COMPENSATION
