Fellow Deschutes County Commissioner Chang Declined To Take The Raise Because He Thought It Was “Wrong” In Light Of County Budget Issues, And A Deschutes County Resident Said Patti Adair’s Decision Was “A Classic Example Of Having Your Cake And Eating It, Too”

Commissioner Chang Voted Against The Salary Raise And Declined To Accept It, Citing Strain On The County’s Budget And Saying He Thought It Was “Wrong” To Take A Major Pay Increase In That Light

May 2023: Commissioner Chang Voted Against The Salary Raise And Said He Would Refuse To Accept It. Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone approved a nearly $14,000 salary increase for themselves last month, outvoting the commission's third member, Phil Chang, who said he will refuse to accept the raise. The decision, which brought commissioners' pay from $111,422 annually to $125,149, was a part of budget deliberations during the last week of May. In the same meeting, commissioners also raised property taxes for rural county residents by 6 cents to roughly $1.28 per $1,000 in assessed property value.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

• Bend Bulletin: Chang Said He Would Request A Raise Identical, Or Similar, To The 4% Cost Of Living Adjustments And Merit Raises The Rest Of County Employees Receive. “‘I definitely didn't do the job for the money,’ Adair said. ‘I work really hard at my job.’ DeBone echoed her response: ‘We're full-time commissioners working hard for the people.’ Chang told The Bulletin on Monday that he intends to request a raise identical, or similar, to the 4% cost of living adjustments and merit raises the rest of county employees receive. An elected official asking for lower pay is an anomaly. It's the first time something like this has ever happened, said Kathleen Hinman, the county's human resources director. ‘It's a question I've not ever had to answer before,’ she said. Chang said it felt wrong to take such a significant pay raise. ‘We have all of these hardworking staff people at the county - over 1,100 of them - and they are all struggling to make ends meet in this incredibly expensive place to live while doing their public service,’ he said.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

Commissioner Chang Said The County Was Going To Have To Tighten Its Belt In The Next Few Years, And “In That Light, I Also Think It's Wrong To Take A Major Pay Increase.” “In the next few years, the county is going to have to tighten its belt, Chang said. A major $40 million courthouse expansion project will take a major toll on the county's savings, but some funding from the Legislature could help. Even without the courthouse expansion project, Chang said, Deschutes County is nearing a point in the next few years when expenses could exceed revenues. ‘In that light, I also think it's wrong to take a major pay increase,’ said Chang.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

• 2023: Commissioner Chang Said The County Was Nearing A Point In The Next Few Years When Expenses Could Exceed Revenues Even Without Expensive Upcoming Capital Projects. “In the next few years, the county is going to have to tighten its belt, Chang said. A major $40 million courthouse expansion project will take a major toll on the county's savings, but some funding from the Legislature could help. Even without the courthouse expansion project, Chang said, Deschutes County is nearing a point in the next few years when expenses could exceed revenues. ‘In that light, I also think it's wrong to take a major pay increase,’ said Chang.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

A Deschutes County Resident Sharply Criticized Adair For Raising Her Own Salary, Accusing Her Of “Writing [Herself] Blank Checks For Such Self-Congratulatory Accomplishments As ‘Working Really Hard’”

Jan Tatala Wrote In A Letter To The Editor That Adair’s Vote To Raise Her Own Salary Was “A Classic Example Of Having Your Cake And Eating It, Too.” “The pay raise that Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone voted in for themselves is a classic example of having your cake and eating it, too. If we all had the luxury of writing ourselves blank checks for such self-congratulatory accomplishments as ‘really working hard at my job’ and ‘working hard full time,’ imagine how well off we would be. Heck, if I had known that all I needed to do to earn a 12.3% increase in my annual salary was to show up and put in a hard day's work then I would have done it. Well, I did, as thousands of my fellow citizens have throughout their careers and if they did get such raises, they were based on performance, not the time clock and were preceded by supervisors' evaluations, usually rigorous. I'm confident the two commissioners received one as well, I just hope they didn't bruise their knuckles on the mirror reaching for the handshake. Commissioner Phil Chang's reluctance to accept the same increase attests to the fact that you don't need to spike the pay to attract highly qualified candidates.” [Jan Tatala Letter to the Editor, Bend Bulletin, 6/9/23]

Tatala: “If We All Had The Luxury Of Writing Ourselves Blank Checks For Such Self-Congratulatory Accomplishments As ‘Really Working Hard At My Job’ […] Imagine How Well Off We Would Be.” “The pay raise that Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone voted in for themselves is a classic example of having your cake and eating it, too. If we all had the luxury of writing ourselves blank checks for such self-congratulatory accomplishments as ‘really working hard at my job’ and ‘working hard full time,’ imagine how well off we would be. Heck, if I had known that all I needed to do to earn a 12.3% increase in my annual salary was to show up and put in a hard day's work then I would have done it. Well, I did, as thousands of my fellow citizens have throughout their careers and if they did get such raises, they were based on performance, not the time clock and were preceded by supervisors' evaluations, usually rigorous. I'm confident the two commissioners received one as well, I just hope they didn't bruise their knuckles on the mirror reaching for the handshake. Commissioner Phil Chang's reluctance to accept the same increase attests to the fact that you don't need to spike the pay to attract highly qualified candidates.” [Jan Tatala Letter to the Editor, Bend Bulletin, 6/9/23]

Tatala: “Heck, If I Had Known That All I Needed To Do To Earn A 12.3% Increase In My Annual Salary Was To Show Up And Put In A Hard Day's Work Then I Would Have Done It. Well, I Did, As Thousands Of My Fellow Citizens Have Throughout Their Careers.” “The pay raise that Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone voted in for themselves is a classic example of having your cake and eating it, too. If we all had the luxury of writing ourselves blank checks for such self-congratulatory accomplishments as ‘really working hard at my job’ and ‘working hard full time,’ imagine how well off we would be. Heck, if I had known that all I needed to do to earn a 12.3% increase in my annual salary was to show up and put in a hard day's work then I would have done it. Well, I did, as thousands of my fellow citizens have throughout their careers and if they did get such raises, they were based on performance, not the time clock and were preceded by supervisors' evaluations, usually rigorous. I'm confident the two commissioners received one as well, I just hope they didn't bruise their knuckles on the mirror reaching for the handshake. Commissioner Phil Chang's reluctance to accept the same increase attests to the fact that you don't need to spike the pay to attract highly qualified candidates.” [Jan Tatala Letter to the Editor, Bend Bulletin, 6/9/23]