Governor Culver plans to cut his own pay by 10 percent.
Governor Culver ordered a 10 percent, across-the-board cut in the state budget last week. In a prepared statement released this afternoon, Culver said the recession has forced everyone to make “financial sacrifices” — including him. Culver said his office would “lead by example” and that means a 10 percent cut in his own $130,000 salary.
Culver’s asked all of his department directors to cut their own salaries by 10 percent, too.
The salaries of the governor, the state attorney general, treasurer, auditor, secretary of state and secretary of agriculture are set by the legislature. Culver said he doesn’t expect them to cut their own pay. In his written statement, Culver said those five other statewide elected officials make less than nearly all his department directors and “considering the effort each of them will make…during this difficult time” Culver said he would “insist that they not reduce their salaries.”
Culver’s chief of staff met this afternoon with the leaders of state agencies, outlining proceedures for making budget cuts. Their plans are to be submitted to the governor’s budget director on October 20th. Some state worker layoffs could be announced at the end of the month.