May 22, 2013
Gov. Bob Riley, who ordered state personnel costs trimmed five percent, agreed to cut his salary by five percent, but he said the director of the Alabama State Employees Association should do the same.
Mac McArthur, executive director of the Employees Association, said Riley should cut his own pay and propose revenue-raising measurers to get Alabama through its $500 million budget shortfall.
Riley said at a news conference that he would have his $101,432 a year salary cut by five percent immediately.
McArthur could not immediately be reached for comment. He makes about $158,000 a year, according to Retirement Systems of Alabama records.
Riley's press secretary, David Azbell, said that before the letter went out, the governor was already leading by example.
He said Riley's office staff is 30 percent smaller than Gov. Don Siegelman's was and the office payroll is 20 percent less.
The governor's press secretary also said McArthur is using the governor's salary "to get his members riled up" at the start of a legislative session rather than trying to help the administration find solutions.
