The Los Angeles Times wrote: “Mission Viejo lawmakers want to give themselves a raise, but O.C. residents say no way.”
The Orange County Register headline was: “Readers say ‘Hold off on pay increase, MV City Council’.”
Residents voted 81% to 18% against the raise in a Register online poll, but last night the Council summarily adopted the 100% raise anyway, 4-1 (Reavis No). The action gave themselves the highest combined stipend and medical benefits among 24 cities surveyed.
The self-serving act was corrupt to many citizens in these economic times, especially since some other cities have larger resident and tourist populations, plus the larger responsibility of operating their own police departments, fire departments, water agencies and other services. Mission Viejo contracts services with outside agencies and private companies.
Elected part-time municipal positions have traditionally been considered volunteers sufficiently rewarded with a small stipend and the honor and privilege of serving the community while enjoying the title, power, public recognition and other perks of the office.
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I find this city council to be beyond belief. In a time when people are so stressed about their economic situation that they take the lives of their family and themselves, like the Porter Ranch suicide, this council sees fit to give themselves a 100% pay raise. If this is not enough on top of all their other foolishness to turn them out of office then there is no hope for this city. I would exempt Gail as she is the only one with an ounce of brains and she knows enough to retire and wash her hands of them.
Reprehensible is one word which comes to mind! How dare they, in this chaotic and scary economic situation!
Makes me embarassed to admit I live here.
Vote them all out at the next election.
This and the selling of the cell phone sites and the 300,000 dollar give-away for a rose parade float makes them too expensive to keep.
Doesn’t anyone in government know how to handle the people’s money? Spend, spend, spend is all they ever do.
I’m glad to say we opposed cityhood in the first place because we knew it would come to this. We bought our house in MV in 1966 and were so pleased that it was a master planned community and an unicorporated town. I am dismayed at the actions the council takes and I too am disappointed that our elected officials have become so corrupt putting their own interests ahead of the citizens’ best interest. Gail seems to be the only one with a shred of decency.