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Committee approves SB 493 to let CDFA secretary set salary ranges for fairgrounds managers
Summary
Sen. Becker presented SB 493 to change how compensation for district agricultural association secretary managers (fairgrounds CEOs) is set, directing the California Department of Food and Agriculture to conduct a salary survey and for the CDFA secretary to establish salary ranges.
Sen. Becker presented SB 493 to the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, describing the bill as a modernization of compensation and classification for secretary managers who run district agricultural association (DAA) fairgrounds. "These secretary managers handle all critical operations behind the scenes...they manage staff, facilities, budgets, and marketing," the senator said, and added that the role has grown to include emergency-response duties.
Sarah Pelley, CEO of the Yolo County Fairgrounds and speaking for the California Emergency Response Resiliency Venues and Fairgrounds, urged support and described fairgrounds' increasing role in emergency response. Pelley told the committee that fairgrounds were activated more than 43 times and open for hundreds of emergency days in the last year and that DAAs are locally self-supporting; she said SB 493 would fund a locally paid salary-survey and direct CDFA to set a compensation range with five‑year updates.
Supporters said the bill would streamline a cumbersome HR process, restore the historical role of boards and the CDFA secretary in compensation decisions, and help retain senior managers who direct emergency operations, grant writing, construction and year-round events. Witnesses said salary increases would not come from the state general fund because DAAs fund positions from locally generated revenue.
Some committee members voiced concern about local control and appointment processes; supporters responded that SB 493 covers compensation only and does not change board-appointment authority. Members also asked about timeliness and CDFA capacity to administer the change; witnesses said the bill would contract for a salary survey paid by fairgrounds and that CDFA has experience receiving similar information.
Outcome: The committee voted to move SB 493 to the Appropriations Committee. The clerk recorded eight recorded “aye” votes and zero “no” votes.
Ending: Proponents said the bill aims to reduce turnover among fairgrounds CEO/secretary managers and to recognize the public-safety and economic roles fairgrounds play; the committee advanced the bill to appropriations for further review.
