Pacific Gove council and mayor pay raise takes a pause

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The city council pay increase in Pacific Grove is now on pause as of Friday after a referendum to put the issue in the voter's hands snagged enough signatures.

This stack of paper equals nearly 1,700 signatures from Pacific Grove voters that has now been submitted to the city's government.

That pay increase had been approved by the council back in May, raising the council members' and mayors' pay by 130%.

Leaders from Transparent Pacific Grove, who started this movement, call the city council's actions a "money grab" without voter approval.

With the number of signatures gathered, it seems many voters agree.

Pacific Grove's potential city council pay increase met with disagreement

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- A referendum against an ordinance of the Pacific Grove City Council to increase the compensation of its mayor and city council members, is gaining steam.

This referendum could stop the pay raise, organizers saying that they already have the signatures they need.

"[Voters] were outraged both at the amount and the way that [the council] implemented it," said the referendum's proponent and former council member Luke Coletti. "It was basically a good old-fashioned money grab, and it was done in a very non-transparent way. It was a very ham handed attempt at basically voting themselves a raise without checking in to the voters first."

Last May, Pacific Grove's city council approved a pay raise of 130%, followed two weeks later by this referendum led by Transparent Pacific Grove.

According to the California legislature 36516:

"(4) The salary of council members may be increased beyond the amount provided in this subdivision by an ordinance or by an amendment to an ordinance, but the amount of the increase shall not exceed the greater of either of the following:

(A) An amount equal to 5 percent for each calendar year from the operative date of the last adjustment of the salary in effect when the ordinance or amendment is enacted.

(B) An amount equal to inflation since January 1, 2024, based upon the California Consumer Price Index, which shall not exceed 10 percent for each calendar year."

Organizers say that the petition needed over 1,000 signatures and they already have more than 1,450, which, they believe, is why the issue is resonating with voters.

"We're about 40% over the required 10% [of signatures]," said Coletti, who went on to say that the council went around state law to grant themselves the raise.

Addressing the rest of the Pacific Grove City Council during the meeting on June 18, Mayor Bill Peake urged for people's support by not signing the petition.

"Don’t sign the petition… council has a lot of obligations and it’s not always easy," he said. "So, show your support for council, don’t sign it."

Transparent Pacific Grove plans to present the city council with its petition on July 1, which could land the issue on November's ballot.

KION reached out to Mayor Bill Peake for comment, but have not heard back.