Survey: What our local politicians make around Lake Tahoe

(Editor's note: The following ran in the January issue of the Tahoe Mountain News. The second part of the series that examines public agency salaries for managers is in the February issue, on newsstands now.)

Here are the latest salaries and benefits available for the South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities Commission, the South Lake Tahoe City Council, El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, the Douglas County (Nevada) Board of County Commissioners, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District board and the board of the Douglas County School District.

Wages and benefits for STUPD were found on its website, (www.stpud.us.) The public utility website offered the most comprehensive breakdown among several Internet searches of local government databases.
Wages and benefits for the City Council of South Lake Tahoe and the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors were found in searches done on the California State Controller’s Office website. (www.sco.ca.gov/index.html).

Wages and benefits for the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors were found at www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/home.aspx and the City of South Lake Tahoe information was available at www.cityofslt.us. Several searches for the Douglas County Board of Commissioners wages, salaries and benefits were not found on the county’s website. Instead they were found at www.transparentnevada.com. This website is operated through the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a think-tank recognized by the Nevada Press Association as a source for maintaining wage and benefit records. The Nevada Controller’s Office does not offer an open search internet database of wages and benefits of individual county commissions.

Information regarding the Douglas County School District was provided by the district. Information about the Lake Tahoe Unified School District was found through the district’s website and also provided by the district.

South Tahoe Public Utility District Board
Salary/stipend: $400 a month.
Other expenses: Board members are eligible for reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred during business travel on behalf of the district. All board member travel is budgeted and approved in open session. Board members must submit, in open session, post-travel reports including all costs incurred.
Health benefits: Includes medical, dental and prescription coverage. Premiums are paid by the district for the board member and eligible dependents. Medical insurance benefits include: $100/year deductible (if all wellness guidelines are met; generally 90 percent benefit coverage for medically necessary services offered by a preferred provider physician; 10 office visit co-pay (if wellness guidelines met); $25 per calendar year dental deductible; prescriptions co-payments.
Post retirement health insurance: The district does not provide any post retirement medical benefits to its retired board members.
Life insurance: Death benefit of up to $70,000.

South Lake Tahoe City Council
Salary/stipend: Monthly Stipend of $452/month ($5,424 a year.) There are no stipends for sitting on commissions.
Reimbursements: The city pays councilmembers for any actual and necessary expenses. This is not considered part of their salary. Retirement: The five council members receive the same retirement plan as all administration employees (2.7 percent at 55 years of age).
Health benefits: Health, dental and vision benefits also include those paid by the City, like all employees. Each member’s exact plan varies depending on whether it is a single or family plan and premiums range from $14,724 to $16,656 (annually), paid by the city.

El Dorado County Board of Supervisors
Salary/stipend: Annual salary of $63,232. Annual salary maximum: $76,876
Total wages subject to Medicare: Range of $73,141 to $84,076.
Reimbursements: Supervisor business expenses include reimbursement for personal cell phone use, mileage for travel and discretionary funds for projects, services or other purchases that either directly or indirectly support the mission of the board of supervisors. There is no reimbursement for meals during in-county travel or meetings. Supervisors must verify with the Clerk of the Board that funding is available prior to initiating any purchase using discretionary funds.
Retirement/Pension Benefit Plan: Two percent at 55 years of age.
Health Benefits: Benefits also includes those paid by the county with the exact plan varying depending on whether it is a single or family plan. The benefits plan of three of the five El Dorado County Supervisors enrolled ranges from: $15,705 to $19,599. (annually)

Douglas County (Nevada) Commission
Salaries/stipends for three commissioners: $26,655.60; Commissioner Doug N. Johnson, $29,328.
Health Benefits: The county pays premiums for all commisioners. A high benefit package paid to Douglas N. Johnson, $24,420.39; followed by $20,384.10 paid to Commissioner Nancy McDermid; Mike Olson, $13,827.02; Greg Lynn, $13,820.98

Douglas County School District Board
Salaries/stipends: Douglas County School District board members receive $400 per month ($4800) per year. Board members can elect to have all or part of their salaries withheld and retained within district coffers. Carolyn Moore, secretary to the superintendent, said she had no information about which board members might be exercising this option or how much they might be having withheld.
Travel expenses: Board members receive 55.5 cents per mile for driving to district-related events and conferences, not including school board meetings. They receive $7.50 for breakfast at district-related functions, $11 for lunch and $22 for dinner. Reimbursement for lodging is $75 per night in-state and $125 out-of-state.
Health benefits: Board members are eligible to enroll in the district’s health care plan – the same one as employees – and can choose from a variety of options. The district pays the premiums for the board members up to $575 per month. The district also provides a maximum of $1500 per year in dental expenses and $200 in vision coverage. Board members are eligible to remain on the district plan after they leave office, but must pay all the premiums themselves.

Lake Tahoe Unified School Distict Board
Salaries/stipends: Lake Tahoe Unified School District board members receive $20 per meeting they attend, which can be refused.
Travel expenses: The district pays all travel expenses for board members on district business. Reimbursement for mileage is 55 cents per mile.
Health benefits: Board members are eligible to enroll in the district’s insurance plans, which include health, vision, dental and life insurance coverage. The district pays all premiums for board members while in office up to $9,232 per year. After leaving the board, members may continue on the district’s plan at their own expense.