Silva Taking Pay Cut?

Joe Silva

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Sonora, CA -- Tuolumne County's Superintendent of Schools is proposing that his salary be reduced significantly over his final two years in office.

Joe Silva will ask the Board of Trustees to approve a unique proposal at this coming Monday's meeting. Silva would like to resign at the end of November, and then be reappointed on December 1st at an annual salary of $40,000. Silva would then retire at the end of 2014, when his four-year elected term expires. His current contract pays an annual salary of $169,000.

"The reason I'm asking the board to do this is because of our state budget situation," says Silva. "In the past we've had to reduce positions in our office, and we've had furlough days. By doing this, it will ensure for the next two years, that we will not have to consider the elimination of any positions, or have any furlough days."

By resigning, and then being reappointed, it would allow Silva to still keep his full pension benefits.

School superintendent salaries are sometimes scrutinized in Tuolumne County. Here's a look at the salaries paid to county superintendents during the 2012/13 school year:

John Pendley (Columbia and Belleview) $166,591
Joe Silva (County Schools) $169,887
John Keiter (Summerville High and Twain Harte) $207,288
Dave Urquhart (Groveland Unified) $112,000
Diane Dotson (Jamestown and Curtis Creek) $148,250
Mike McCoy (Sonora High) $142,700
Leigh Shampain (Sonora El and Summerville El) $144,000
Jeff Winfield (Soulsbyville) $100,020

*Each of the Superintendents also receives an annual insurance cap ranging from $8,100 to $10,248, with the exception of Keiter and Dotson, whose is included in the salary. Many of them also receive an annual business allowance ranging from $3,600 to $7,200.

Written by BJ Hansen