California Governor Gavin Newsom speaking at the State of the State address in Sacramento, CA, Mar 8, 2022. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock)
Governor Newsom Declines 3.5% Pay Raise
Newsom cited state budgetary reasons for declining raise
By Evan Symon, August 2, 2024 11:32 am
In a letter to the California Citizens Compensation Commission (CCCC) unveiled to the public on Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that he waived any and all planned pay increases next year because of the state’s budgetary problems.
Pay raises for elected officials at the state level have shot up considerably in recent years. In 2021, the same commission voted for a 4.2% increase in pay across the board, with Newsom alone getting an additional $8,806 a year. However, when the raise was put into place then, California was amidst a record-setting budget surplus. However, the state’s fortunes changed dramatically in only a few years, with the state now looking at a deficit as high as $73 billion.
Even with a slashing of the budget and California pulling back on many planned expenditures, the state will likely be in the red for quite some time. Despite this, the CCCC still voted in favor of an increase in June. While it wasn’t as high as previous years, it was set to go up 3.5% beginning in December. For lawmakers and Newsom, they equaled to thousands of dollars more each year, with Newsom’s $234,101 salary expected to climb over $240,000.
However, on Thursday, a latter by Newsom to the CCCC prior to their June vote showed that he said that he would waive the 3.5% increase due to budgetary reasons. In his letter, dated June 11th, Newsom noted that “I write to you ahead of the Citizen Compensation Commission’s scheduled meeting on June 12 to discuss potential salary increases for constitutional officers and legislators.
“First, I want to express my utmost respect for the independence and the important work of this commission. Your dedication to ensuring fair and appropriate compensation for public officials is important to the functioning of our state government.
“While the Commission deliberates a proposed 3.5% salary increase, I feel it is important to acknowledge the fiscal challenges currently facing our state. In light of these circumstances, I have decided to personally waive any potential salary increase related to my state service for the time being.”
Following the Governor’s office confirmation of the rejection on Thursday, questions quickly arose as to who else declined the pay raises for budgetary reasons. While a few employees declining a raise would not amount to much, a decent number of employees affected by the raise would bring the total into the millions and would show a small bit of budgetary savings.
“In the grand scheme of things, Newsom saving the state $7,000 isn’t a lot,” explained Lee Greenman, a California-based accountant who helps city and other regional entities fix budget problems, to the Globe on Friday. “But this goes way beyond money matters. He might lead by example following this, but look at the optics. Him taking a pay raise when the state is tens of billions in the red? That doesn’t look great, and when he runs for his next office, that could have been used against him.
“So it does look like a strong stance from a financial perspective, him saying that the state is in trouble and he’ll do his part. But on the other hand, he knows how much a raise would hurt him politically. And let’s not forget all the billions in spending he approved or has tied down in favored or pet projects. A pay raise is a drop in the ocean against that. But he does also have a step up against state lawmakers and others who have said nothing of the raise yet.”
As of Friday, it has yet to be announced who else has declined pay raises this year.
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He’s probably getting more than that in bribes from BYD.
He is also attempting to “look” fiscally conservative by not taking this raise during tough times. When the dems through Kamala overboard they will look towards Newsom but by then it will be too late for anybody.
Nonsense. Gavin Newsom is a very fiscally responsible Governor, who cares about our state. And who has been very successful in running our huge & complex state.
You are just jealous of Newsom’s success.
Comparatively speak, Riverside County CA, iSheriff Chad Bianco has taken huge salary raise just very recently, with enormous percentage, at about 30%, that exceeds what the state governor gets in pay. But the Governor runs a whole state of 40 million people, whereas Riverside County Sheriff’ has law enforcement responsibility for only about a million of the County’s residents
Additionally, Bianco is a former member of the extremist group that we know as Oath Keepers., whose members participated in the Jan6 Capitol Insurrection.
Equally disgusting, Sheriff Bianco , a law enforcement person, had just endorsed FELON-34, Donald Trump, for president. —by saying, “it’s time to put a Felon in the White House.” That announcement was carried by all local news media.
Sheriff Bianco claimed with disgusting pride that he was invited to attend the Republican Convention. Which we are sure we the taxpayers of the Riverside Co. are really paying for.
Additionally, Riverside County Supervisors took for themselves salary raise about 30-32%, which outraged many residents of the Country.
Riverside County District Attorney took a raise of about 32%, and is now the highest paid County employee, whe Sheriff Bianco is the second.
Unlike Gavin Newsom, none of those slugs mentioned herein offered to refuse the pay raises they got. Or to ask for lower raises, as a sign they care about the public’s welfare.
Any person who chooses to support the likes of Trump & Chad Bianco or Mike Hestrin is a misplaced low character unworthy to criticize anyone, least of all Gavin Newsom, on what their pay raise is or is not.
Gavin Newsom is the best governor California has ever had.
You are full of $hi+. If Governor Climate Change had any class he would refuse his paycheck and donate it to charity like President Trump did when he was in office. But Governor Climate Change does not have the class to do that because he is nothing more than a life long politician and a leftist Democrat PUKE!
“You are just jealous of Newsom’s success.”
Nonsense. The only reason his private sector business have been successful is because his business partner is the Getty Family – the entire family. They earned their fortune in petroleum, notably in the oilfields of Kern County. Which industry is Newsom now trying to regulate out of existence? Petroleum. Why? Emotions. How? By appointing lawyers to state boards that should be dominated by engineers and real scientists (not people with degrees in “political science” (which is NOT science).
Most of what’s wrong with California originates in the bay area.
when an egotistical narccasist tries to look humble
I wonder what his real income is. Ol’ Noisome probably drops 7 grand on dinner at the French Laundry most weeks.
Newsom the dumbass isn’t worth $34k a year, let alone $234k
What a crock…
And Sonia has strained her brain… what a load of equine excrement…
Best CA Governor ever… are you HIGH??? What STRAIN are you smoking, Sonia???
It must be good….