County's Pick for CEO Plays Hardball in Salary Negotiations

Orange County supervisors took a straw vote today endorsing the hiring of Santa Barbara County's chief executive officer to do the same job here, but salary may be a sticking point.

The supervisors unanimously endorsed the hiring of Chandra L. Wallar as CEO, a position that has been filled by Chief Financial Officer Robert Franz since Tom Mauk resigned in July, a casualty of the political fallout from the prosecution of former county executive and Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante on sex charges.

Wallar wants about $290,000 in annual salary and has agreed to pay for all of her pension contribution, a key for Orange County officials who want to lead the way on the reform of retirement benefits.

Mauk's annual salary was about $253,000, but he did not have to pay for all of his pension contributions. The increased salary would compensate for the extra pension costs.

Wallar also wants $15,000 in moving costs. Her current salary is about $232,000.

Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who negotiated with Wallar along with Supervisor Patricia Bates, told the board that the overall compensation for Wallar would be less than Mauk's.

Supervisor Todd Spitzer said he called Wallar this weekend and she told him she did not want Mauk's salary.

"She said if you offer me Tom Mauk's salary I am not interested," Spitzer said. "I don't want to lose Chandra, but I don't want to move to $290,000... I just don't think it's justifiable to bring her in at a greater salary than the prior CEO."

Complicating the discussion was the $300,000-plus annual salaries for CEOs in San Diego, Riverside and other area counties.

Supervisor John Moorlach said candidates would still find Orange County more attractive even at a lower salary because there aren't a lot of other issues facing the area.

"Orange County is a fun little runnin' machine," Moorlach said.

Moorlach suggested offering Wallar $275,000 annual salary while dropping the relocation-cost perk of $15,000. Moorlach also supported Nguyen's suggestion that instead of an automatic raise of 5 percent after one year that it be a merit-based raise up to 5 percent.

Nguyen and Bates were directed to ask Wallar if she would accept the new terms. It appears there's an urgency to wrap up the deal quickly.

"Chandra Wallar was adamant that we resolve this today. We can't wait three weeks (until the next board meeting)," Spitzer said.

Spitzer noted that Wallar was eager to finish negotiations quickly because her name was leaked to local reporters, which caused her problems with her current employer.

"She said, 'I need to get this resolved," because if we don't hire her she has to patch up her relationship with her board," Spitzer said.

Before today's meeting, Moorlach said county officials did not go out seeking a woman to replace Mauk, but it was a nice bonus considering the morale problems that resulted from the allegations about Bustamante, some of which date back to 2003.

Bustamante has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting seven female employees while he was an executive in the county Department of Public Works and awaits trial.

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- City News Service