ADDS UP… Squid is great at math as long as the numbers are small enough to count on Squid’s 10 appendages. Once you get into big figures, Squid needs a calculator.
Squid did not need a calculator to make sense of a conversation members of the Marina City Council had on Tuesday, Feb. 4, about whether to approve a 900-percent increase in councilmember compensation. Yes, that’s three zeroes – bigger than any raise Squid has ever asked for for writing this column.
That’s not to say it’s actually all that many sand dollars in total, $123,000 per year, although it is more than twice the amount the state recommends for a city the size of Marina. The plan takes councilmember pay from $200 to $2,000 per month, and the mayor’s compensation from $250 to $2,250. (Unlike many local cities, Marina does not provide health insurance to members of council. In Monterey, for comparison, councilmembers receive $965 per month, and the mayor gets $1,418, plus health insurance).
Councilmember Kathy Biala says they aren’t being greedy but getting fair compensation. “We’re right in the middle. We’re not excessive, we’re not going to be the lowest,” she tells Squid’s colleague. “Finally, after decades of no stipend increases, Marina is finally getting it.”
Biala hopes boosting compensation motivates more residents, particularly from diverse backgrounds, to run for office. The council voted 4-1 to give themselves the raises; Squid will be watching to see who runs in the future.
COUNT DOWN… Speaking of money matters, Squid has been watching for years as a battle over public records plays out in Monterey County Superior Court. In the latest chapter, Soledad Community Health Care District and CEO Ida Chan Lopez are in a fight over what seems to Squid like pocket change: $1,022 the district claimed in court costs.
Andrew Sandoval, who serves as a member of Salinas City Council – and a self-appointed local government watchdog – sued the district in 2023 seeking to compel officials to produce records under the California Public Records Act. They did eventually turn over most (but not all) of the records, so in 2024, Sandoval dismissed his suit. SCHCD waved a flag of victory – and then sought to recover its court costs, totaling $1,022.
Not so fast, Sandoval is arguing – he dropped his suit to save everybody money. Now Sandoval, faithfully committed to being a thorn in the side of the district, filed a motion asking a judge to strike or reduce those costs. On Jan. 31, the court heard the arguments, with a decision to-be-issued.
Meanwhile the parties are still negotiating over undisclosed records that Squid would like to read.
(2) comments
The Marina City Council will again take up the vote on Wednesday, February 19th, to raise council member pay to $2,000/mo and mayor pay to $2,250/mo. There have already been several discussions on this matter on Nextdoor including this latest rebuttal to one CM’s letter justifying the exorbitant increase (visible to all): https://tinyurl.com/2wbc23k2
At the last council meeting, 13 people spoke to the council. 12 of them (including two former CM’s) opposed the increase to the proposed levels. The one voice in favor was former CM Cristina Medina-Dirksen. Despite a 92% opposition, the council chose to ignore the calls for a smaller increase.
If past behavior is any guide, we can expect Mayor Delgado to make a face-saving motion for a lower stipend amount; which will fail for lack of a second motion. A motion will then be made to adopt the high stipend increase and it will likely pass 4-1.
The Marina city council stipend increases are excessive and are more in line with cities SIX TO ELEVEN TIMES the size of Marina if California Senate Bill 329 were applicable.
The council claims that they are incorporating a cash-equivalent amount into their stipend to compensate for the absence of healthcare coverage. But all of the current council members already have health insurance. This means the extra money becomes PURE UNRESTRICTED INCOME as there's no requirement for them to spend it on health insurance.
Pacific Grove, like Marina today, offers no health insurance although I believe council members can opt-in out of their own pockets. A staff presentation back in March 2024 showed that Seaside is able to provide coverage for just $935. That information strangely disappeared from the February 2025 presentation and the staff chose to present only coverage amounts in excess of $2,000.
The council also repeatedly claims that they are doing this "to encourage others to run for office" but they would still prefer that it take effect NOW rather than AFTER they have had to face elections; so it's fair to question the sincerity of their intentions.
The voters should have a say as to whether they believe an increase of this magnitude is warranted. It should come to a vote in 2026.
A more sensible approach would be (1) setting council member stipends at $400/month and the mayor's stipend at $500/month to immediately achieve regional pay-parity, (2) implementing automatic annual adjustments to stipends based on the Consumer Price Index, and (3) putting the larger amount for a vote in 2026.
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