Fresno County’s top bureaucrats get big raises. Will make $160k and up under new scale

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved pay increases for top officials after they were told that their current salaries were not competitive with compensation received in comparable California counties.

The pay raises included 9% for Agriculture Commissioner Melissa Cregan, to $160,368; 5% for County Administrative Officer Paul Nerland, to $267,800; and 7% for Raman Bath, county librarian, to $157,430.

Hollis McGill, the county’s director of Human Resources, told supervisors the increases follow a comparative salary survey with local counties and cities in the state. Supervisor Buddy Mendes made the motion, which was seconded by Supervisor Nathan Magsig.

The increases do not include pay hikes for elected officials, which cannot be increase during the officials’ elected terms.

On Feb. 22, supervisors approved a 3% salary increase for all non-elected department heads, effective Sept. 19, 2022. That increase is not included in the adjustments illustrated below.

This story was originally published August 9, 2022 at 3:44 PM.