Stop Feeding the DSRSD Pigs
Dear Board Members Halket, Vonheeder-Leopold, and Howard:
I am outraged by your recent decision to hand out over a quarter million dollars in bonuses to the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) staff. More 35% of DSRSD’s employees were paid over $100,000 for 2010, including many operators who received six-figure salaries. With the bonus, General Manager Bert Michalczyk’s projected compensation in 2011 will be nearly $300,000. Your reckless action to authorize this undeserved 10% raise prepaid through a series of rate hikes in 2011 is a clear violation of your fiduciary duty as elected public officials.
You dressed up these payouts as performance-based bonuses; however, they are simply an add-on to DSRSD staff’s current hefty salaries. The already well-compensated employees are not required to put any of their salaries at-risk, so underperforming employees will still take home the same pay and annual raises they have always received.
Unemployment in California is hovering around 10%. The national economy appears to be heading back into a recession. Many families and local businesses in Dublin, San Ramon, and Pleasanton are struggling to make ends meet. In these difficult times, you seem more concerned with lining the pockets of General Manager Michalczyk and his overpaid DSRSD cronies than providing your constituents with fair and affordable water rates. I demand that you reverse your decision to hand out over a quarter million dollars in bonuses. I will not support any future rate increase until DSRSD eliminates the ill-conceived bonus program and return the money to us ratepayers immediately.
As a public utility monopoly, DSRSD can increase water rates, fixed charges, and so-called “temporary” surcharges at will. By approving these egregious bonus payments for DSRSD staff, you have provided a perverse incentive to raise rates without just cause and throw away more money on unwarranted pay increases in future years. Your obligation as elected officials is to represent the best interests of the ratepayers. I will vote against any DSRSD Board Member who willfully ignores this demand in the 2012 election.