CITY PANEL REVIVES PUSH FOR PAY RAISES; AVERAGE 15% HIKE SOUGHT FOR MANAGERS.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

A year after similar raises were rejected by the City Council, Mayor Richard Riordan and other members of a city panel have revived a proposal to boost six general managers' pay by as much as 22 percent.

The proposal by the city's Executive Employee Relations Committee calls for raises averaging 15 percent.

It faces the same objections it met last year and has raised concerns among leaders of unions that represent Department of Water and Power workers facing major layoffs.

``My concern is that we are giving people these kinds of raises while we're talking about laying off 2,000 people,'' said Julie Butcher, general manager of the Service Employee International Union, Local 347.

Butcher, who heads a union representing blue-collar city workers, said the proposal sends a mixed message despite the proposed raises coming from a different pot of money.

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association President Richard Close said he does not think such large increases are warranted, given the quality of service provided by the city.

``Given the disappointment people have with the quality of service in Los Angeles, pay raises like these don't seem appropriate,'' Close said.

``Giving a 22 percent increase to a manager is not going to fix the potholes in the streets or get rid of the graffiti.''

Neither Riordan nor his representatives returned phone calls for comment.

A city administrative analyst, Paul Cauley, said he believes the salary increases are justified by the fact that there have not been merit raises for five years. That means the salaries of some general managers have not kept up with the pay of counterparts in other government agencies or even with subordinate managers.

``These are equity issues,'' Cauley said.

All managers got the same 2 percent cost-of-living increase received by other city employees July 1, with another 2 percent raise set for Jan. 1.

However, if the proposal is approved, managers also would get merit and equity increases on top of the cost-of-living increases.

The overall increase in managers' salaries will be scrutinized by City Council members, including Richard Alarcon, who last year questioned giving raises before the merit-pay evaluations were done.

Alarcon said he is less concerned now that managers are having their performances evaluated.

He said there is an argument for paying managers enough that they will not be taken away by other cities who pay more.

``The comparable-worth issue is important,'' Alarcon said.

Joel Fox, head of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, objected to the practice of basing managers' pay on what other government agencies are paying, saying they are using each other to drive salaries up.

``I think comparing themselves to other cities is a phony gambit to ratchet up pay,'' Fox said.

``Instead, it should be commensurate with what we the taxpayers are getting.''

Fox said he does not think taxpayers are getting raises averaging 15 percent in the private sector.

The largest percentage increase proposed is a 22.9 percent raise that would boost the salary of Cultural Affairs Department General Manager Adolfo Nodal to $107,588. About $4,384 of Nodal's raise would be a merit increase, with the other 78 percent of raise meant to give him equity with comparable managers.

The largest dollar increase would go to Jack Driscoll, Airport Department director, whose salary is recommended to increase by $24,278 to $187,278 - an increase of about 15 percent. About $8,200 of Driscoll's raise would be for merit, with the rest, about 66 percent, for equity.

The compensation committee's report said Driscoll's salary is ``well below'' other comparable managers and is not 20 percent above the salary of his highest-paid subordinate, which is the standard set by Riordan for new managers.

The report cites salaries paid to pension managers for Los Angeles and Orange counties, and San Francisco and San Diego in recommending major raises for Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System manager Oscar Peters and Police and Fire Pension manager Gary Mattingly.

``A survey conducted last year indicates that the salaries of (Peterson and Mattingly) have fallen behind managers of other public retirement systems,'' said the report.

The other two motions to be considered today are for salaries for Larry A. Keller, general manager of the Harbor Department, and Tom Conner, general manager of the Transportation Commission. The men have served for several months as interim general managers.

TOP RAISES

A proposal to be considered today by Los Angeles City Council members would raise the salaries of six top administrators by an average of 15 percent.

Adolfo Nodal, general manager Cultural Affairs Department: $20,072 increase - 22.9 percent - to $107,588.

Jack Driscoll, director, Airport Department: $24,278 increase to $187,278.

Oscar Peterson, manager, Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System: $16,907 increase to $109,590.

Gary Mattingly, manager, Police and Fire Pension: $13,182 increase, to $114,556.

Larry A. Keller (newly appointed to this position), general manager, Harbor Department: $21,000 raise to $184,057.

Tom Conner (newly appointed to this position), general manager, Transportation Commission: $11,000 increase, to $138,748.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Executive Employee Relations Committee.

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BOX: Top raises (see text)