Did Elk Grove City Councilman Rod Brewer lie by omission while discussing his, colleagues possible pay raise?

Mayor, city council to hear recommendation for their desired pay raise on Sept. 25

During last night's Elk Grove City Council meeting, the five-member body discussed whether they should raise their pay from $800 to $2,550 a month. While the city council did not make a decision, all of the city council members except District 3 representative Kevin Spease provided rationalizations for increasing their salary by up to 300 percent under a new state law.

The city council will hear the matter again during the September 25 meeting with pay increase recommendations. Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and three of her city councilmen - Rod Brewer, Sergio Robles, and Darren Suen - all spoke glowingly about granting themselves a pay raise.

There was an interesting indirect exchange between District 2 Councilmember Brewer and Spease. That exchange centered on health benefits and deferred compensation (see video below).

The mayor and city council members are offered health benefits as part of their salary packages. During the discussion, Brewer said that because his day job provides that, he declined the benefit when he was sworn into office in December 2022.

"I waived my benefits before I got sworn into office because I'm very cognizant that other people who do not have what I have do not work the job that I work and make the money I make," Brewer said.

Brewer implied that the taxpayer money that would have been used for his health benefits would be redirected to the city general fund to help others in the community.

"They could use some of those benefits, and we could pour that money into other programs and other things that could really help our community," Brewer added.

Spease rebutted Brewer's claim without naming him specifically. He said that if elected officials waive their health benefits, they receive deferred retirement compensation in lieu.

"Let me explain some of my [taxpayer-provided] benefits. I get cash in lieu of medical insurance," Spease stated. "If you choose not to take medical insurance, you get cash in lieu, which I believe, please correct me, goes into a deferred comp account, right? I don't get cash in hand, right? "

He added, "That's six hundred and fifty dollars a month, about seven thousand eight hundred dollars annually." Spease also asked staff to correct his assertions if they were incorrect, but they did not address his remarks.

This morning, Elk Grove News emailed Elk Grove city manager Jason Berhmann to clarify Spease's and Brewer's claims. Councilmembers Brewer and Spease were included in the inquiry. 

As of this posting, a response has yet to be received, but a companion story will be posted when the councilmen's claims are verified.