SEATTLE — Some Seattle City Light employees have launched a petition opposing a 45 percent increase in their chief executive officer’s pay.
Last week City Council committee approved a raise for Seattle City Light CEO Jorge Carrasco, to bring his annual salary to a total of $364,000 from his current rate of $250,000.
A full council meeting next Monday allows council members to vote on the raise.
Those distributing the petition hope to turn it in to the council and Mayor Ed Murray before that decision.
Click here to see the petition against Jorge Carrasco's raise.
Darlene McGrath, who works for the information technology department of Seattle City Light, said, “Over the last five or six years, we've had furloughs; we've had layoffs; we've had to contribute more into our pension funds.”
McGrath said it is unfair to consider a 45 percent increase for Carrasco when most employees got a cost-of-living raise of less than 2 percent this year.
Employee Jose Torres said, “It's going to boost his pay, as I understand, almost to the level of the president of the United States. I think they really need to start looking from the bottom up.”
Murray and some city council members said other similar utilities are managed by people who are paid much more than Seattle currently offers.
At a press conference Wednesday, Murray said, “If you look at the market, do we want to hire people who can make a public utility as competitive and as cost-effective as a private utility? Then you're going to have to pay for it. And we are lucky to have Jorge as a superintendent. He could go anywhere in the nation in the public or private sector. I think that would be a loss to the city.”
“I don't really care what's happening anyplace else. He's in Seattle,” said Janice Gatti, a Seattle City Light customer.
Another customer, Colby Lowe, said, “I understand competitive salary. When I was hired by Home Depot, they said Lowe's paid less, so I was like, ‘Oh cool, I'm being hired by the company that pays more.’ But I'd still like to see those things put to better uses, especially when it's city funds.”
If the City Council approves the plan set forth by a committee last week, the pay increase will be retroactive to Jan. 1.
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