Stockton City Attorney John Luebberke has advised the city council that it will have little choice but to reduce Mayor Anthony Silva’s salary, following a recommendation from the city’s Salary Setting Commission. That’s because of stark language in the recent amendment to Stockton’s charter which says the council must either adopt the recommendation or approve an even lesser amount of compensation.
“The council is left with a range of choices that are to approve the recommendation or approve a lower compensation,” Luebberke said last week.
The City Salary Commission recommended cutting Silva’s salary by $32,586 earlier this month. Its authority to do so comes from an amendment to the City Charter passed by voters in November.
Silva has said he disagrees with Luebberke’s interpretation of the language and believes the use of the word “recommendation” is self-explanatory.
“From my knowledge, there is no entity in the city that supercedes the authority of the City Council’s majority vote, plain and simple,” Silva added. “I believe they can vote no.”
Silva said previously that he would run for another term in 2016 regardless of whether or not the reduction is approved.
Read more about looming cut to Silva’s salary here.