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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016
INSIDE
Artists sought to create Tony Gwynn Memorial. A2
BY STEVE DREYER Poway City Council members informally agreed Tuesday night that the time has come to increase their monthly salaries. Stressing that it’s been eight years since the stipends were raised, and that the action has nothing to do with an estimated $22 million in surplus municipal budget money, all five councilmembers got behind the idea of a 14.5 percent increase in their pay,
effective following the November elections. The mayor will receive a 40 percent salary premium for extra responsibilities. None of the five were comfortable about the prospect of higher pay, but justified their decisions by saying the 14.5 percent roughly represents Consumer Price Index increases since 2008 and will not be retroactive. By state law, councilmembers can
increase their pay by up to 5 percent annually. That has not happened in Poway. Each councilmember currently makes $1,167 per month while the mayor receives that plus an extra $300. Under the plan gaining support Tuesday night, councilmembers will receive $1,336 per month while the mayor will be paid $1,871 each month. The consensus was reached during a non-voting council workshop. A
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formal vote will come later this month. Mayor Steve Vaus placed in the salary issue on Tuesday night’s agenda, saying he has found that being a council member is a lot more than meeting twice a month for three hours. “That’s just the tip of the tip of the iceberg,” Vaus said. “It’s a 24-hour-a-day job,” SEE SALARIES, A10
High school on board for ‘Anything Goes’
DEBRA BEILE
■ Sports, B1 ■ Entertainment, B6 ■ Seniors, B10 ■ Classifieds, B12 ■ Business, B15
Vol. 62, ISSUE 36
Salaries of mayor, councilmembers to rise
■ Reader poll A2 ■ Calendar, A7 ■ Vacation photo A12 ■ Crime Log A12 ■ FACEs, A14 ■ Opinion A16 ■ Obituaries, A18
Hear WWII love songs on Valentine’s Day. B6
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Wanda Mae Huntsman inspects a tree that fell Sunday on her property at Espola and Valle Verde roads while neighbor Debbie Knuth looks on. Strong winds and heavy rain wreaked havoc Saturday and Sunday in Poway, knocking down trees and downing power lines, causing extended power outages.
BY EMILY SORENSEN Poway High School is taking to the high seas for its winter musical production of “Anything Goes,” opening Friday. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5; Saturday, Feb. 6; Thursday, Feb. 11; Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and are available by calling 858-748-0505, at the PCPA box office, or online at
www.powaycenter.com. Set in the 1930s, “Anything Goes” takes place aboard the ocean liner S.S. American, where nightclub singer and evangelist Reno Sweeney (played by senior Sarah Bedford) is en route from New York to England. Her friend Billy Crocker (played by junior Kyle Kesler) has stowed away onboard the ship, in order to be close to the woman he loves, Hope Harcourt (played by junior Natalie Marriott). Unfortunately, Harcourt is
SEE MUSICAL, A10
Appointed Councilman Leonard announces November run BY STEVE DREYER Appointed City Councilman Barry Leonard will be running for a full four-year term in November, he announced Tuesday. “I have a strong desire to serve others,” Leonard said. “Serving on the City Council has given me an opportunity to better understand the needs of our city and assist in the planning of our city’s future. Years ago the city was fortunate to have the guidance of councilmembers who had a bright vision for our city. I would like to continue as a member of
the team responsible for the extension of that vision as we plan for the future of our great city.” Leonard, 60, is a retired technology executive and Green Valley resident. He was appointed one year ago to fill the remainder of Steve Vaus’s council term after Vaus was elected mayor in November 2014. Leonard was one of 20 candidates for the appointed seat. Informed of Leonard’s decision, Vaus replied “Barry has been a great addition to the council. He does his homework, asks thoughtful questions and spends a
tremendous amount of time out in the community. I’d be delighted to have him back for a full term.” Before being appointed, Leonard had served on the city’s Budget Advisory Committee and was a member of the Green Valley Civic Association. He also served as president of the Bridlewood Estates Homeowners Association. If elected in November, Leonard said his priorities would be to build the proposed Mickey Cafagna Community Center in Community Park, underground utility lines along Espola
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