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Council weighs 5 percent raise for development job

By Chris Nichols
News-Sentinel staff writer
Monday, July 14, 2008 10:57 AM PDT

Comments (24 comment(s))

Following an unsuccessful first round of recruiting, Lodi City Manager Blair King is recommending a 5 percent pay bump for the city's unfilled community development director post.

That would increase the position's monthly salary to a minimum of $9,848 and a maximum of $11,916.

Based on 12 months of pay, that calculates out to at least $118,176 per year or as much as $142,992 annually.

King said the base salary for the director position is 18.6 percent below average compared with pay for similar positions in other cities.

Thirty-three applications were received this spring. Six of the top applicants were invited for interviews.

None, however, was offered the job.

The lower salary likely kept some strong candidates from applying, King noted.

"We weren't quite as competitive as we need to be," he said. "This is an important job. We have high expectations."

The Lodi City Council will consider the raise at its Wednesday night meeting at Carnegie Forum.

The job has been vacant since Randy Hatch left the city at the end of May, citing a mutual desire between he and King to part ways.

"We want to continue the search for someone who will meet all of our criteria," King added.

For more on this story, read Tuesday's News-Sentinel.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

lodidian wrote on Jul 16, 2008 6:57 PM:

" I have a hard time understanding how none of the 33 "professionally screened" applicants for the position "fit"this job. The job isn't that big! It does not require a "heavy hitter". Mr.King will direct that position so little skill or talent is required.
This does not pass the Lodidian's smell test! "

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OTH wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:44 PM:

" I say give them all a raise. It's only taxpayer money anyway. The gut robbers are going to get it any way. What's another $10 a mnth on our utilities? "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 9:59 PM:

" To T&C: I think its a great idea except for one. There is one woman on the city council I will never trust. This is from personal experience. Rhetorical question: Which is more important honesty or character? Why can't we have them both? LOL Unfortunately we aren't getting much of either with one notable exception. After I read what Ms. Mounce wrote for www.capitalelector.com, I think Lodi still has a chance to join the 21st century. Lets vote Mounce as the RDA Chief. I bet she wouldn't try to extract money out of us that we don't have. After she completes her study and concludes that the RDA is bad idea, we can all go to A&W for a large frosty mug of root beer. Thats my campaign promise. LOL. No curled baby finger on a glass of red in this house. The nose on this vino has notes of leather, licorice and horse poop. LOL Next time don't pick the berries up off the ground. ROFL "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 8:20 PM:

" OTH, we do agree on some things. You got that one right. Those three control every vote that comes to council. It's time in November to send Johnson on his way and elect either Ann Cerney or Jane Lea. How cool that'd be with three females the ruling majority. "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 8:18 PM:

" edumacation, good blogs and the points about the real estate connection and these banks. Both CBS and NBC news reported these are just the first two in a line of at least a dozen or more that'll be tumbling down soon. Nobody will even want to take that job with the reputation this city has for going through department employees, especially the boss. How many have we lost since Mr. King came to town? And why? The network is collapsing and there's no economy and money to sustain their growth. I wonder if commonsense1 applied for one of those packets from www.treasure-coast.us? ROFLMAO "

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OTH wrote on Jul 14, 2008 7:57 PM:

" Commonsense 1

If you talking about the the three stooges, it's Hanson, Johnson and Katzakian. You could easilyuse Blair King for the fourth.

As to the question as to why you would hire someone and pay them the same as somone one who had been there 5 yeaers. How about someone who was a friend of the peopoe doing the hiring? See the the people in Lodi have no problem snufflling up to the trough. With 33 people inrerviewed and no finders,something stinks. "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 7:14 PM:

" Commonsense1: I knew you would slink out of the shadows I soon as I mentioned Real estate or appraising. LOL Those "jobs" will go the way of the Dodo bird. How can they look you in the face and deal themselves with YOUR money without cracking a smile? I hear them brag about the "deals" and the suckers and chumps of buyers and sellers. Its nothing but a 6% tax run through a listing monopoly. TRY this. Mandatory BA degreee to get licensed as an associate. I think they require a GED today. LOL Sounds like PROFESSIONAL training to me? I have to stop laughing. Here is a link to a friend who will tell you ALL about it. Mike is a bonified REALTOR (N.A.R.) and the Brokers and agents HATE him. WHY? --he is also a Real Estate attorney-- and knows all the dirty little secrets of the industry.

Visit www.treasure-coast.us if you want to hear what REALLY goes on. He will go to a local association and later publish comments all their little games. They can't argue--- REAL LAW is his trade. "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 7:02 PM:

" LOL ROFL. I make much more than that. I will need at least $150/hour plus pension and other benefits 2080 hrs/yr. Your AGI must be less than 210k to qualify for the stimulus checks. I could work for one week and scrap the whole RDA mess. LOL That way I can get back to work and not have to worry about the RDA and GOB BS until the GOB try to ram it down our throats for a third try. They ARE really worried. Look whats happening with the banks. I predict ALL mortgages will require 20% down and no more of the "no doc, no job" loans. Interest rates will be back up to at least 8% for the best credit and it will increase from there. Housing prices will drop to 1998-1999 actual levels and sales will increase. I don't know how our banking system will handle the Realtor/appraiser problem. I think we should abolish them, and let the government handle it. There are too many sticky fingers in the pot that don't contribute value to a property transfer and that was a cause of the bubble and crash. "

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commonsense1 wrote on Jul 14, 2008 6:41 PM:

" I hate that when I'm refering to "edumacation and I misspell fornication. "

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commonsense1 wrote on Jul 14, 2008 6:39 PM:

" T & C, you expressed exactly what I was thinking. These mental midgets should apply for the job. Just think how much better off the city would be. Do these brain surgeons think Lodi is attempting to hire an inexperienced person for this position? Why would anybody take a pay-cut to take a position in Lodi? One of the "benefits" would be listening to the "3 Stooges" T&C, T&c, Paperweight and forniacation, sorry edumacation. I guess that's 4 Stooges. "

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T & C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 5:07 PM:

" Dang it edumaction, T&C, Tc TC, Papercut, and lord knows how many other names you are using... why don't you apply for the position since you know it all? There's a 5% pay increase in it for you. You could then "Run all the "GOB's" out of town, lol! "

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T & C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 5:05 PM:

" OMG now edumacation is telling us he knows who is normal...LOL! "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 5:00 PM:

" Hey T&C that CC member Mounce is a normal peson! I like her attitude! Many say that most of the CC are working only for their campaign contributors or buddies. She is obviously NOT a GOB and does not seem to be secretly working for them. "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 4:55 PM:

" I agree, nellie. The economic conditions aren't the same from town to town. And most towns aren't $250,000,000 in debt like Lodi is. Many of those others that are making more have been there a while. Why would you pay someone new the same rate as an employee that's been there 5 years? "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 4:35 PM:

" To T&C: Thats a good one!!!~ Say T&C dont't forget to send me the "chocolate chip cookies" that I requested in my last email. hint hint wink wink. Thanks for the 15 toothbrushes that you sent me for my cat. hint hint. The cat is smiling now. Okay T&C. How many beans do you want me to send you for your VEGETABLE garden? I like the "green" ones....with the pictures of Grant on the front. LOL ROFL "

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Whoa Nellie! wrote on Jul 14, 2008 4:32 PM:

" Here is THEE problem with all of these city jobs, "King said the base salary for the director position is 18.6 percent below average compared with pay for similar positions in other cities."

So "X" gets $100K. In 3yrs the survey says that his peers earn an avg of $125K. What this doesn't tell me is HOW LONG have the other people have been in their city. Experience in one city is a valuable asset. Job hopping is not.

STOP this cycle of comparison salary review and automatically granting raises. Only in civil service, &*^%$#@! "

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LODI-LAW wrote on Jul 14, 2008 3:55 PM:

" When lower level city employee's took a three week without pay to help get the city back on its feet 3 years ago and saved over 200k to only watch the upper management get 10-16% raise's a month later it makes sense. I know lets have a utility rate hike to cover their raise's this year to stay competitive. Maybe if they would promote and train from within they could save us some funds. "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 3:33 PM:

" oops: www.capitalelector.com. "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 3:30 PM:

" Go to www.capitolelector.com "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 2:57 PM:

" wtf and edumacation. See who the new city clerk is in Elk Grove? Susan Blackston. Hmmmmmmm. "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 1:45 PM:

" To wtf: I think you are correct. Can they hire one of his family members or neighbors for this job? I seem to remember that an ex-mayor of Lodi hand picked a neighbor for a finance job because of their "experience with dry beans". I know a part time manager of the french fries department of a local eatery, she is probably similarly qualified. LOL One is a "dry bean specialist" and the other drops potato slices into hot oil. Lets give them a raise first, and then hire them. I think they should try down at the unemployment office. I hear there are lot of bank and loan company employees out of work. "

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wtf wrote on Jul 14, 2008 12:47 PM:

" Right on the money, T&C - that's exactly what I was thinking. "

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T&C wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:43 AM:

" edumacation, it'll either be one of Mr. King's associates from another town he's served, or if not, surely a gob. 33 applications and none qualified means they're waiting for some particular party to be interviewed and hired. "

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edumacation wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:40 AM:

" Here we go. We don't even have a list of projects and we are already giving raises to people we haven't hired. "

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Comments on this story are now closed.

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