At noon today Governor Chet Culver’s staff issued a statement “to clarify” the promise Culver made earlier this month to cut his own pay by 10 percent.
Republicans lobbed criticism at the Democratic governor this morning after a budget document released by the governor’s office indicated Culver’s pay cut would amount to $7,000. That’s far below 10 percent of his annual salary, which is $130,000. A spokesman for the governor told The Des Moines Register yesterday that the governor’s chief of staff had decided none of the salary reductions in the governor’s office would be retroactive.
Now, a statement released moments ago from chief of staff John Frew, reverses course.
“I want to confirm that Governor Culver will take a 10 percent cut on his entire annual salary this year,” Frew said in the written statement. “His salary, as set by state law, is $130,000 and the 10 percent reduction will be $13,000, which the Governor will pay back to the State. This reduction is equal to a 14 percent salary cut over the remaining eight months of the fiscal year.
“The salaries for all department directors will be reduced by 10 percent but, unlike the Governor, will not be retroactive and therefore equal less than 10 percent for the entire fiscal year.
“The Governor made a commitment to a 10 percent cut in his own salary for the entire year, and I inadvertently calculated it the same way as the reductions to department directors.
“The final implementation plan on the Governor’s office budget cuts, which will be approved by the Department of Management next week, will include the full $13,000 reduction in his salary.”