Councilmember Kevin Spease thanked for standing with taxpayers, opposing 300% pay raise for Elk Grove mayor and her councilmen
Councilmember Darren Suen had suggested that the pay increase was needed because of the extra expenses of being a city council member, such as dry cleaning
During the October 9, 2024, Elk Grove City Council meeting, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and three of her four councilmen formally approved their 300 percent pay raise. Councilmen Rod Brewer, Sergio Robles, and Darren Suen joined Singh-Allen in approving the massive pay raise.
District 1 Representative Darren Suen suggested the massive pay raise this summer, just before he was separated from his $170,000 a year job as chief of staff for California District 10 Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen. Since that employment separation, Suen has positioned himself as a primary election challenger against fellow Democrat and former boss Nguyen for Assembly.
Suen had suggested that the pay increase was needed because of the extra expenses of being a city council member, such as dry cleaning. Also, during the previous hearings, Brewer lied about the deferred compensation he received for declining health care from the city (see second video below).
District 3 representative Kevin Spease was the only city council member opposing the substantial pay hike. At those hearings, Spease laid out his reasons why the city council does not deserve the pay increase for what he said is about 22 hours of official monthly work by his colleagues.
During public comment on the formalization of the increase, Elk Grove mayoral candidate Lynn Wheat thanked Spease for advocating for taxpayers' interests (see first video below).
The pay raise is effective this December.
