82,809 / 47.8% Yes votes ...... 90,410 / 52.2% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

A "yes" vote on this measure would amend Section 206(a)(5) of the County Charter to authorize the Board of Supervisors to annually request that the Grand Jury investigate and recommend on the need for an increase in the salary. If the Grand Jury recommends an increase in the amount of compensation for Supervisors, the Board of Supervisors may thereafter accept or reject the recommendation but in no event may the Board of Supervisors set its compensation at an amount above the recommendation.

A NO vote of this measure means:

A "no" vote on this measure would leave Section 206 (a)(5) of the County Charter in its present form.

/s/ Michael D. Nevin Supervisor of San Mateo County /s/ Jerry Hill Supervisor, San Mateo County /s/ Mark Church President, Board of Supervisors /s/ Donald A. Horsley Sheriff, County of San Mateo /s/ Lee Buffington Tax Collector Treasurer

Supervisors aren't civil service employees. They're our legislators. Our votes employ them. Our taxes pay their salaries. It is we - not the Grand Jury - who should be asked to approve raises above the cost of living increases they get. Measure E would give them a means to avoid using ballot measures to ask us for raises they'd like to have.

If this measure were to pass, we'd be in the only California County allowing the Grand Jury to decide Supervisors' salaries. This is not the purpose for which State Legislators intended and created Civil Grand Juries. Their assignment is to serve us by examining governmental operations and investigating allegations of impropriety or illegality and to make recommendations for remedies and improvements. Deciding salary Supervisors should get doesn't fit in with these responsibilities.

I'm confident that most local legislators and Grand Jurors I've known and most of you fellow-voters will be against this measure that would take up precious time our generous Grand Jury needs for its work to be done on our behalf.

We'll not NO on "E".

/s/ Jim McLaughlin Retired City Clerk, Belmont

Those serving on the Grand Jury provide checks and balances to help assure good, honest government. What they need is not another duty of recommending County Supervisors' salaries but some legal teeth so that their recommendations cannot be unheeded as some have obviously been during recent years.

DON'T OVERBURDEN OUR GRAND JURY WITH A NEW DUTY THAT IS NOT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS CREATED.

PLEASE VOTE NO ON E.

/s/ Jim McLaughlin Retired City Clerk

/s/ Bruce H. Hasenkamp Foreman, 2001-2002 Grand Jury /s/ Herman Christensen, Jr. Foreman, 2000-2001 Grand Jury /s/ Roger Chinn Former Grand Jury Foreman, 1998, 1999 /s/ Julia Yaffee Foreperson, San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury 2003-2004 /s/ Gwendolyn V. Mitchell Current Grand Jury Member

206. Powers and Duties The Board of Supervisors shall have all the powers and shall perform all the duties vested in it by the Constitution, general law, and this Charter.

a. The Board shall: (1) ... (2) ... (3) ... (4) ... (5) Establish by ordinance or resolution the compensation of officers and employees and by ordinance the compensation of Supervisors. Annually, the compensation of Supervisors shall be increased by the percentage of increase in the cost of living, to be determined by the Controller as of November 1st of each year as shown in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Prince Index for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area, not to exceed five percent (5%) per year; any amount of increase in the cost of living in excess of five percent (5%) may be accumulated and applied to increase in salary in future years. However, the Board of Supervisors may annually request that the Grand Jury investigate and recommend on the need for an adjustment in the compensation of the Supervisors. If the Grand Jury recommends an adjustment in the amount of compensation for Supervisors, the Board of Supervisors may thereafter accept or reject the recommendation but in no event may the Board of Supervisors set its compensation at an amount above the recommendation.