John Pérez and Martin Garrick give big raises to top aides

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Both of the Assembly’s new Democratic and Republican leaders, Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and minority leader Martin Garrick (R-Solana Beach), doled out big raises to their top aides shortly after assuming the leadership posts.

Pérez hiked the annual salary of his chief of staff, Sara Ramirez, from $125,256 to $190,008 as of March 1, according to public records requested by the Times.

That is the same salary her predecessor, Nolice Edwards, earned as chief of staff to former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles). Edwards remains on the Assembly payroll as Bass’ top aide.

Garrick raised the annual pay of his chief of staff, Michael Zimmerman, from $66,780 to $111,996 in March, public records show. (Christine Robertson, Zimmerman’s predecessor as chief of staff to former Assembly GOP leader Sam Blakeslee, earned $125,004 a year. She continues to collect that salary, records show.)

Zimmerman and Ramirez have assumed broad new responsibilities as the top aides to the Assembly’s top lawmakers. But the raises come at a politically tricky time as policymakers confront an estimated $20-billion budget deficit.

Pérez granted raises to other aides besides Ramirez. Among them:

Nicole Curran was promoted from legislative assistant to associate consultant and saw her salary rise from $54,636 to $74,748. John Vigna was promoted from legislative assistant to press aide and received an $19,200 pay bump, from a $40,800 salary to $60,000.

There is a salary freeze in place in the state Senate. Staffers in the governor’s office are being forced to take three unpaid furlough days each month, the equivalent of a 14% pay cut. Rank-and-file state workers are also furloughed three days a month.

-- Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento