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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
County staff brought the raise proposal to the board in November, at which point they were directed to bring back an ordinance no later than Jan. 23 for increasing board pay.
However, staff returned a month ahead of that date, bringing the ordinance for its first vote on Dec. 20.
Voting 4-1, with Supervisor Bruno Sabatier casting the only no vote, the board approved the first reading of an ordinance amending Section 2-3A.1 of Article I, Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code, that raises the supervisors’ pay rate by 40%.
The second reading took place at the board’s first meeting of the year on Jan. 10. That vote also was 4-1, with Sabatier again voting no, following the item’s introduction and no public comment.
The new pay rate will be set at 38.6% of the salaries of Superior Court judges — which now total $231,174 — with the chair to receive an additional 5%.
The board’s base salary will now rise from $63,714 to $89,233.16 annually, a 40% increase.
Unlike most county ordinances, which go into effect after 30 days, this ordinance — because it involves supervisorial pay — won’t become effective until 60 days after passage, or around March 10.
It could still be challenged by a referendum, which under state law would require the submission of qualified signatures totaling 10% of the entire votes cast in Lake County for all candidates in the last gubernatorial election in November, which totaled 20,131 votes. So 2,013 verified signatures would be required for a referendum effort to succeed.
Previous major board raise encountered opposition
The last time the Board of Supervisors tried to give its members a raise of that magnitude — which occurred more than 20 years ago — a referendum stopped the effort, and nearly a year and a half passed as the board and community worked to find an acceptable solution.
In September of 1999, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to move forward with a more than 40% raise. The board’s pay at that time was $28,903 and was slated to increase to $40,649 in January 2000.
The 1999 board — whose members then included Gary Lewis, Karan Mackey, Bill Merriman, Ed Robey and Jeff Smith — argued that their workload and job commitments more than justified the increase.
However, Patricia McIvor of Lakeport led a petition drive to stop the raises. At that time, about 1,900 valid signatures were needed — a number not far off from what would be needed in a similar effort today.
Altogether, McIvor and the group opposed to the raises gathered more than 5,000 signatures — twice the number then-Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley had recommended they gather.
Pat McIvor died in 2014. Her daughter, Cathy McIvor, shared with Lake County News this week her memories of her mother’s determined effort to challenge the board’s action.
“She was just fired up about that,” she said of her mother’s reaction to the raise proposal.
Cathy McIvor said her mother spent months gathering the signatures. “I wasn’t able to talk to her for at least three or four months.”
Pat McIvor had her card table in the back of her Toyota pickup and she went all over the county, gathering signatures, her daughter recalled.
“Boy did she give it to ‘em,” Cathy McIvor said, adding that her mother could really say “no.”
Pat McIvor’s relentless efforts led to the Board of Supervisors voting unanimously to rescind the raise in December 1999.
Alternatively, the board wanted to pursue a plan to give its members a 13.33% increase over three years, a proposal the referendum’s supporters also opposed.
In January 2000, the supervisors accepted another proposal, which the board later changed to a 13.33% raise in the first year, with the board salaries later to be set at 60% of salaries of elected department heads.
That proposal later gave way to a third one in which they raised their pay to $32,756, and then asked then-Supervisor Robey to study the matter.
The board later asked the grand jury in December 2000 to consider how supervisors’ salaries should be raised and make a formal recommendation.
In February 2001, the grand jury presented its report, which included a recommendation to set board salaries at 55% of all elected officials as of July 1 of that year, which set them at more than $37,811, increasing to 60% of elected officials’ salaries as of July 1, 2003.
Two weeks later, the board voted 3-2 to approve the grand jury’s recommendations. Opposing the increase were then-supervisors Anthony Farrington and Rob Brown, who had defeated Mackey’s planning commissioner Peggy McCloud — who ran to succeed Mackey, who was retiring — and Merriman, respectively, in elections the previous year that had seen the raises being a campaign issue.
The board’s salaries had remained at 60% of the elected officials’ pay until the county began to implement the classification and compensation study in 2020.In 2020 and 2021, the supervisor approved a total of $21 million in raises due to that study, as Lake County News has reported.
So far, while there has been talk in the community of a referendum effort, no one has come forward to lead it.
However, the raises may lead to sitting board members being challenged in upcoming elections, as was the case when Brown defeated Merriman and Farrington defeated McCloud.
Since McIvor’s successful challenge of the supervisorial raises, there have been other successful referendums but most have focused on marijuana rules.
The last successful referendum in the unincorporated county on any topic was in 2014, when enough signatures were gathered to challenge a marijuana cultivation ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors.
An effort in the fall of 2020 to gather enough signatures to challenge a Public Health enforcement ordinance created due to COVID-19 came up short.
Editor’s note: Information about the 2000 election has been corrected.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
On Thursday, the council will hold a public hearing to consider an appeal of the Clearlake Planning Commission’s decision on Dec. 13 to grant a conditional use permit, design review and corresponding environmental analysis for a hotel development on 2.8 acres at 6356 Armijo Ave., part of the former Pearce Field airport property.
The Koi Nation of Northern California has appealed the project approval, alleging that the city’s tribal consultation process violates the California Environmental Quality Act.
In July 2021, the City Council unanimously approved the sale of that property to MLI Associates LLC, owned by Matt Patel, for a hotel development.
Patel is proposing a 75-room Fairfield Inn by Marriott hotel, with a meeting hall and event center.
During the commission’s Dec. 13 meeting, there was no public comment on the proposal, and city staff said they had received no written input on it.
Also on Thursday, the council will discuss and consider a memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and city of Clearlake for the design cost related to the regional skate park in Austin Park.
City Manager Alan Flora’s report to the council explains that the city has solicited the services of a qualified firm to provide a design plan for the Austin Skate Park.
“The current skate park is in disrepair and in need of upgrades. The proposed skate park will be an all-wheel, concrete skate spot and will provide a safe, designated place for users to develop their skills and gather with friends. The design will feature a mix of street and transition-style terrain, with elements designed for all age groups and ability levels. The design will meet the needs of the community while incorporating Crime Prevention through Environmental Design principles, including a seating area and ADA accessibility,” Flora wrote.
Flora said the city selected American Ramp Co. to provide design services for the project. The project is to be funded through an agreement with the county of Lake to utilize District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier’s cannabis funds allocation.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the MOU at its Jan. 24 meeting, Flora said.
“The City expects design work to take a few months, with the first survey and public input meeting to be completed in the next few weeks,” his report noted.
The cost of the design services is $43,500.
On Thursday the council also will present certificates of appreciation for Breakfast with Santa volunteers.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants and adoption of a resolution authorizing the city of Clearlake’s submittal of applications for all CalRecycle Grants for which city of Clearlake is eligible.
The council also will hold a closed session following the public portion of the meeting to discuss a potential case of legal action.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
City Manager Kevin Ingram presented a traffic safety update to the Lakeport City Council at its first meeting of the year on Jan. 3.
In his comments and written report to the council, Ingram presented observed trends in received traffic safety related complaints to the city.
Ingram said the city began tracking safety related complaints in June 2015 and more recently began providing updates to the City Council.
In 2022, the city only received five written complaints, the most notable for which related to Westside Community Park when large events were taking place, he said.
Traffic issues at the park came up in 2022 in relation to the new apartment project to be built next to the Parkside Subdivision.
Ingram said city staff are planning to review red curbing along access driveways and fire hydrants near the park, will work with youth sporting organizations on traffic issues and plan to have law enforcement conduct direct traffic enforcement during larger events.
The council approved a local road safety plan in March that addressed the city’s most problematic areas. That plan is meant to help the city obtain grant funding, and Ingram said the city is working with the Lake Area Planning Council, or APC, on those grants.
Five areas he discussed that also have actions recommended in the local road safety plan are the pedestrian crossing on Lakeport Boulevard between Larrecou and Forbes; Lakeshore Boulevard corridor between Giselman and Lange; the North Main, Clearlake Avenue and North High Street corridor; and the Eleventh Street and Forbes flashing stop sign.
Regarding Lakeport Boulevard between Larrecou and Forbes, Ingram said the city has contracted with a traffic engineering firm to prepare a project study report that will address bike and pedestrian improvements along with the study of a mid-block crossing near the Bell Alamo shopping Center. He said there is $1.2 million in funding through the Lake APC for the completion of this project.
Ingram said there is a separate traffic engineering study underway that’s related to the proposed courthouse project on Lakeport Boulevard adjacent to the Vista Point outlook that is looking specifically at intersection improvements at Bevins and Larrecou along that corridor.
Ingram said city staff have not received any new traffic related complaints involving the Lakeshore Boulevard corridor between Giselman and Lange.
He said it will be studied in a project study report that is underway for a new Safe Routes to School project as well as through the Sustainable Communities Transportation Planning grant the city recently received.
Ingram said the city’s goal for that area is the construction of a contiguous sidewalk from the city limits to 20th and Hartley.
For the corridor including North Main, Clearlake Avenue and North High Street Corridor, Ingram said additional signage and enhanced pavement markings have been completed in the corridor in accordance with the local road safety plan’s recommendations.
At that point, Ingram said there had been some accidents related to turning movements at Clear Lake and Main and staff was working with the city engineer to identify possible mitigation measures.
There also had been additional collisions in the intersection at 11th and Forbes streets since the last report to the council, Ingram said.
As a result, staff recommended installing flashing LED-embedded stop signs at this location, like those located at the intersection of Third and Main streets, which are proven to make unsignalized intersections safer by slowing people down and reminding drivers to make a full and complete stop.
Ingram said the city is cognizant of the impact of flashing lights on neighbors, so they are looking at installing signs that are active during the daytime but will turn off at night so as not to be a nuisance.
During the meeting Ingram also reported that staff had discussed in a recent meeting the value of parking a speed trailer in problem areas to slow speeds.
However, the Lakeport Police Department’s speed trailer has exceeded its life so Chief Brad Rasmussen is looking for grant funds to replace it.
Ingram also reported that recent federal court decisions have called into question the legality of enforcement methods such as tire chalking, but in the weeks before the council meeting, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that tire chalking is not a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
As a result, he said that, given its staffing challenges, the Lakeport Police Department is studying the potential use of officer trainees in order to have parking enforcement in the downtown area.
During public comment, Dr. David Browning noted, “We all know lakeport has many traffic safety challenges.”
He said driving habits are going downhill everywhere, not just in Lakeport. People run right through stop signs, do U-turns everywhere and are parking on the wrong side of the road. He questioned what could be done to educate the public.
Nathan Maxman pointed out that in other cities people can text concerns and complaints to code enforcement.
City Clerk/Administrative Services Manager Kelly Buendia said the city’s website has a “How Do I” section that explains how to file a complaint. Those complaints go to her office and she routes them to the correct department.
Buendia said the city keeps a separate database of traffic safety complaints.
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- Written by: Michael Humphries, Touro University
It’s a case of déjà vu all over again on the debt ceiling debate.
Republicans, who regained control of the House of Representatives in November 2022, are threatening to not allow an increase in the debt limit unless they get unspecified spending cuts in return. In so doing, they risk pushing the U.S. government into default.
Brinkmanship over the debt ceiling has become a regular ritual – it happened under the Clinton administration in 1995, then again with Barack Obama as president in 2011, and more recently in 2021.
As an economist, I know that defaulting on the national debt would have real-life consequences. Even the threat of pushing the U.S. into default has an economic impact. In August 2021, the mere prospect of a potential default led to an unprecedented downgrade of the the nation’s credit rating, hurting America’s financial prestige as well as countless individuals, including retirees.
And that was caused by the mere specter of default. An actual default would be far more damaging.
Dollar’s collapse
Possibly the most serious consequence would be the collapse of the U.S. dollar and its replacement as global trade’s “unit of account.” That essentially means that it is widely used in global finance and trade.
Day to day, most Americans are likely unaware of the economic and political power that goes with being the world’s unit of account. Currently, more than half of world trade – from oil and gold to cars and smartphones – is in U.S. dollars, with the euro accounting for around 30% and all other currencies making up the balance.
As a result of this dominance, the U.S. is the only country on the planet that can pay its foreign debt in its own currency. This gives both the U.S. government and American companies tremendous leeway in international trade and finance.
No matter how much debt the U.S. government owes foreign investors, it can simply print the money needed to pay them back – although for economic reasons, it may not be wise to do so. Other countries must buy either the dollar or the euro to pay their foreign debt. And the only way for them to do so is to either to export more than they import or borrow more dollars or euros on the international market.
The U.S. is free from such constraints and can run up large trade deficits – that is, import more than it exports – for decades without the same consequences.
For American companies, the dominance of the dollar means they’re not as subject to the exchange rate risk as are their foreign competitors. Exchange rate risk refers to how changes in the relative value of currencies may affect a company’s profitability.
Since international trade is generally denominated in dollars, U.S. businesses can buy and sell in their own currency, something their foreign competitors cannot do as easily. As simple as this sounds, it gives American companies a tremendous competitive advantage.
If Republicans push the U.S. into default, the dollar would likely lose its position as the international unit of account, forcing the government and companies to pay their international bills in another currency.
Loss of political power too
Since most foreign trade is denominated in the dollar, trade must go through an American bank at some point. This is one important way dollar dominance gives the U.S. tremendous political power, especially to punish economic rivals and unfriendly governments.
For example, when former President Donald Trump imposed economic sanctions on Iran, he denied the country access to American banks and to the dollar. He also imposed secondary sanctions, which means that non-American companies trading with Iran were also sanctioned. Given a choice of access to the dollar or trading with Iran, most of the world economies chose access to the dollar and complied with the sanctions. As a result, Iran entered a deep recession, and its currency plummeted about 30%.
President Joe Biden did something similar against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Limiting Russia’s access to the dollar has helped push the country into a recession that’s bordering on a depression.
No other country today could unilaterally impose this level of economic pain on another country. And all an American president currently needs is a pen.
Rivals rewarded
Another consequence of the dollar’s collapse would be enhancing the position of the U.S.‘s top rival for global influence: China.
While the euro would likely replace the dollar as the world’s primary unit of account, the Chinese yuan would move into second place.
If the yuan were to become a significant international unit of account, this would enhance China’s international position both economically and politically. As it is, China has been working with the other BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia and India – to accept the yuan as a unit of account. With the other three already resentful of U.S. economic and political dominance, a U.S. default would support that effort.
They may not be alone: Recently, Saudi Arabia suggested it was open to trading some of its oil in currencies other than the dollar – something that would change long-standing policy.
Severe consequences
Beyond the impact on the dollar and the economic and political clout of the U.S., a default would be profoundly felt in many other ways and by countless people.
In the U.S., tens of millions of Americans and thousands of companies that depend on government support could suffer, and the economy would most likely sink into recession – or worse, given the U.S. is already expected to soon suffer a downturn. In addition, retirees could see the worth of their pensions dwindle.
The truth is, we really don’t know what will happen or how bad it will get. The scale of the damage caused by a U.S. default is hard to calculate in advance because it has never happened before.
But there’s one thing we can be certain of. If Republicans take their threat of default too far, the U.S. and Americans will suffer tremendously.
Michael Humphries, Deputy Chair of Business Administration, Touro University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.