DESERT HOT SPRINGS – This week, 40 supporters of Joe McKee met to discuss the state of the City. McKee is running for a seat on the Desert Hot Springs City Council. Chuck McDaniel opened his home to friends, neighbors and supporters of McKee. The candidate received donations from the members of the San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Central Labor Council as well as from individual supporters in attendance.
“The City is in crisis,” McKee said. “In the 2005-06 budget, we had 99 positions and spent $5.6 million, an average of $57,000 per full time employee. By FY 2011-12, we had 56 positions. We spent $10.2 million. That means we spent an average of $181,428 per employee, or more than a 300% increase in payroll.”
“The citizens of the City are supporting a government that pays its staff 10 times our average Desert Hot Springs wage,” he continued. “We need to cut expenses and not raise taxes.”
McKee answered questions and ended the evening in conversations with supporters.
