CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ENDORSES PAY RAISES.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said Friday that the City Council and other officials are eligible for a pay raise that will boost council members' annual salaries into six figures.

Managing Assistant City Attorney Fred Merkin said he has concluded that the 9.5 percent pay hikes are retroactive to April 1 and could continue at least through the rest of this year.

Most of the 15 City Council members have said they will accept the pay increase, boosting their annual salaries for this year from $98,069 to $105,059. City Attorney James Hahn also has indicated he will take the increase, which would bring his salary for this year from $117,684 to $123,498.

The raises are triggered by the state Judicial Council's recent approval of raises for Municipal Court judges.

In an 11-page legal opinion, Merkin said council members and other elected city officials will get the higher pay each month as long as the Municipal Court certifies that its judges are participating in a coordination plan that shares cases with Superior Court judges.

Court officials say the certification is routine, is expected to be done each month, and, in fact, has already been signed off on for the month of April.

``They do expect it will be signed every month,'' said Albert Cortez, a court spokesman.

Deputy City Controller Tim Lynch said the first higher paychecks for city officials might be issued next week, after Merkin completes a second analysis to determine whether the raises will affect pension benefits.

The council members, city controller, city attorney and mayor must all file notices of whether they will accept the raises, Lynch said.

On Friday, council President John Ferraro said he will turn down the increase, joining council members Richard Alarcon and Mike Feuer who have previously said their intent is not to accept the raise for their personal benefit.

``If the raise is provided, he would take it and donate it to charity,'' said Gayle Johnson, a spokeswoman for Ferraro.

Council members Joel Wachs and Laura Chick have said they will accept about 4 percent of the raise, which matches what most other city employees are receiving.

Mayor Richard Riordan will continue to work for $1 a year.

The pay raises would become permanent after Dec. 31 if state voters next month approve Proposition 220, which allows the courts to consolidate, and the superior and municipal judges vote to merge the courts so that municipal judges would be paid the same $107,390 annual pay received by superior judges, Merkin concluded.

``The salaries of the city's elected officers will then be based on those of Superior Court judges,'' Merkin wrote.

Voters approved an ethics reform measure in 1990 that tied the salary of council members to the pay of Los Angeles Municipal Court judges, Merkin said.

``That measure clearly intended that the salaries of city officers should mirror those of the judges,'' Merkin wrote.

Mildred Weller, who heads the group North Hollywood Concerned Citizens, said the raises should be delayed until the city's finances are in better shape.

``I think considering the fact that the city is broke and the situation is worse than they are letting on, I think that (raise) is outrageous,'' Weller said. ``They shouldn't even consider it until they get their fiscal house in order.''