A rather contentious issue at times and now up for discussion today by the Solano County Board of Supervisors is the elimination of longevity pay of Solano County employees -- but only for new hires.

At the request of Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, supervisors will consider elimination of longevity pay over a period of time for people who are not currently employed by the county.

"It didn't go very far when I brought it up before," Kondylis said. "It's based on people taking up space, not on performance."

After thinking about it for a long time, she said the board can be convinced to eliminate the longevity pay if it doesn't touch current employees.

In fiscal year 2009-10, the county paid more than $3.1 million in longevity pay. That number jumped to $3.2 million the next fiscal year.

"These costs are not sustainable given the current county structural deficit," staff said in a report.

Kondylis added that since longevity pay is tied into salaries, eliminating the benefit will also reduce retirement costs.

It would be difficult and probably illegal, according to staff, to eliminate longevity pay for those who are currently working for the county due to contracts and other employment agreements.

"Our goal should be to eliminate longevity for new hires in a way that is fair so that, over time, these costs will no longer occur," staff said in a report.

Staff also noted that none of the actions regarding longevity pay are intended to effect

those who are currently employed by Solano County, including elected officials.

The board will consider several options:

* Eliminate the legislative, executive and senior management groups longevity tier and substitute longevity tier that is in place for all other groups of new hires.

* Eliminate the "credit service provision" for all future hires.

* Eliminate longevity pay for all newly elected officials who take office after Jan. 1, 2013.

* Adopt policy that it is the intention of the Solano County Board of Supervisors to eliminate longevity pay in its entirety for new hires.

The Solano County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. today in the County Administration Center, 675 Texas St., Fairfield.

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Melissa Murphy at Twitter.com/ReporterMMurphy.

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Solano County leaders to discuss eliminating longevity pay