Familiar Division
Once again, Mr. Fulwood appears to have at least 3 to 2 support on a personal fiscal matter from Mayor Alan Corlin, and Councilmen Scott Malsin and Steve Rose. I dont know whether I will support it, Councilman Gary Silbiger said. I need more information.
Colleagues say Ms. Grosss resistance to salary hikes for Mr. Fulwood has become reflexive, not to mention legendary.
A Time for Candor
Running against a strong possibly unanimous tide to grant Mr. Fulwoods wish, a $40,000 raise to $224,000 (not including benefits) Ms. Gross was as coolly direct as ever.
Casting a glance at Mr. Fulwood, poker-faced as usual, at his desk in front of, and below, the dais, she said:
In his position, I would not have had the nerve to ask for this.
Rhetorical Rumba
The salty crack came at the conclusion of an entertaining rhetorical rumba that found Mr. Fulwood and Ms. Gross sashaying in figurative florid flourishes back and forth across the Council Chambers dance floor.
For a few minutes, there was an almost surreal feeling in the virtually empty room where one person was in the audience.
Mr. Fulwoods turn came first.
Implementing the final steps of the reorganization of City Hall, as mandated by last years Charter Reform election, Mr. Fulwood gave an overview that at times became dizzying.
What Is New
He spoke of newly derived positions, current employees moved around as if they were on a chess board, the elimination of some lower-rank positions, and pay increases for some, ranging from fat to almost indiscernible.
At the end of this fast-moving round came Mr. Fulwoods pitch for a substantial raise for himself. It was argued by his supporters the increase would barely advance him to market level, hardly a claim to brag about, they said.
Is Language Persuasive?
The overtly unprepossessing Mr. Fulwood sought to soften his approach to a personal raise. Scrupulously, he lined his case with fluffy linguistic pillows. He favored the abstract lexicon of government-ese.
Raises for Mr. Fulwood and others were euphemistically described as salary adjustments or reclassifications or upgrades. He also dropped in a few equity adjustments, both external and internal, plus salary enhancements.
Why He Didnt Ask Before
To be succinct, Mr. Fulwood, with backing from a majority of City Council members, said he held off asking for more money when he signed a three-year agreement last year and also earlier because he wanted to straighten out the citys finances first.
Having endured a lengthy daily commute for more than four years from his cross-county home, Mr. Fulwood said he would forgo his annual $8,000 car allowance if the city could offer him a smaller car for professional use only.
He also cited another potential increase he has been holding in abeyance.
Passed by Assistant
As the Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency, he has been receiving a monthly stipend of $500. Meantime, the assistant director has gone around him and is being paid $850 per month. Mr. Fulwood asked for a 100 percent hike to $1,000 per month.
Since he is starting his fifth year at City Hall, and therefore drawing closer to prospective retirement, the sixty-ish City Manager said he would like to be able to cash in his unused sick leave when he departs. Personnel Director Serena Wright said management policy requires a minimum of 10 years of service.
First Objection
Before launching into a contest of statistical roulette with city staffers charged with compiling comparative salaries, Ms. Gross balked at Mr. Fulwoods justifications on general grounds.
I have trouble with someone who comes back for more money after signing a contract, she said. My overarching concern is the very, very large salary increases (for Mr. Fulwood and others) in the City Managers office.
A Case Against
Intertwining her argument against more than a nominal raise with a welter of philosophical, policy and numerical contentions, Ms. Grosss exchanges with staffers soon seemed to dissolve into speciousness and arcanity.
Errors Found
Ms. Gross generated a blizzard of statistical analysis that she said proved Mr. Fulwood did not merit more than a raindrop increase.
Not long afterward, she acknowledged that some of her statistics were erroneous.
Not one of Ms. Grosss four colleagues supported her resistance or reasoning.
Frustration
Councilman Malsin not only articulated his discomfort with Ms. Grosss claims, his body language offered further evidence.
At several points during Ms. Grosss soliloquies, he hung his head, removed and returned his glasses, and then stood up to leave the dais altogether. This is kind of frustrating, he said.
Mayor Corlin asserted that Ms. Gross had reversed a salary-linked argument she used five years ago when Fire Chief Mike Thompson was hired briefly, as it turned out to be chief executive of Culver City.
Drawing Comparisons
With the chief executives of Beverly Hills drawing a salary-only of $276,000, of Santa Monica, $254,000 and of Torrance, $243,000, Mr. Corlin pointed out that Mr. Fulwoods new salary still could be considered below market.
When Ms. Gross insistently resumed her statistical offensive, Mr. Corlin asked her if she only wanted Culver City to be average.
Essentially, the Vice Mayor said yes.
She said the City Manager should be treated like all other employees. Just as we are not special, she said, he is not special.
Skinning a Cat
This sparked Mr. Rose to ask, When it comes to executive compensation, what basis do you use for making things equal?
The amount of citizens in a community? The number of employees? Whether it is a full-service or contract community? How many years the person has served?
You can pick and choose. I dont think there is one fair way.
How Replaceable?
In closing, Mr. Corlin said he doubted, if Mr. Fulwood were to leave today, that City Hall could replace him with a person of matching talent and experience for his current salary.
That clinched the pro-raise debate for him.
COUNCIL NOTES Paradise has arrived for community activists. They can go to a meeting the first four nights of next week. Monday at 7 is the regular City Council meeting at City Hall. Tuesday at 7:30 is the School Board meeting at School District headquarters. Wednesday at 7 is the much anticipated fourth meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the South Sepulveda project at El Marino School in Sunkist Park. Thursday at 6 in Council Chambers is the final vote on the budget, and possibly another debate on Mr. Fulwoods salary and benefits, which would total out at about $300,000
