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San Jose council rejects "pay-for-performance" plan to withhold 5% of council pay pending goals
Summary
On June 10 the San Jose City Council voted to reject a proposal that would have withheld 5% of mayor and council pay and returned it only if the council met publicly adopted performance targets. The substitute motion to reject the plan passed 7–4 after several hours of debate about accountability, goal‑setting and unintended consequences.
San Jose — The City Council on June 10 voted to reject a proposal that would have withheld 5% of the mayor’s and councilmembers’ pay and returned it only if the council met measurable annual performance targets. The substitute motion to reject the ordinance passed 7–4; Vice Mayor Pam Foley, Councilmembers Mulcahy and Casey, and Mayor Matt Mahan voted against the rejection.
The proposal, brought forward by Mayor Matt Mahan and coauthored in part by Vice Mayor Foley, would have used the authority in City Charter section 407(d) to enact an ordinance tying a small share of elected officials’ compensation to achievement of citywide performance metrics and to direct the city manager to return with a more detailed grading rubric within 90 days.
Supporters said the change would strengthen accountability and align elected leaders with performance expectations…
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