Opponents to three initiatives that have qualified for the November ballot in Murrieta have deemed the measures unnecessary, ill-conceived and a hindrance to the city's ability to hire qualified candidates.

Supporters say the measures are imperative to protect taxpayer money.

Both sides have spelled out their arguments in statements on Measures C, D and E that will be included on sample ballots mailed to voters. The measures qualified for the ballot in June 2008 after 14,000 residents signed petitions.

On Nov. 2, Murrieta residents will be asked to determine the fates of the following measures:

---- Measure C would impose term limits on City Council members. If approved, no elected official could serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. This year, three incumbents, Gary Thomasian, Kelly Bennett and Rick Gibbs, are seeking re-election to their second four-year term.

---- Measure D would limit the value of salary and benefits awarded to council members to 15 percent of the median household income in the city. The limitation would not apply to reimbursements for expenses paid out of pocket.

City officials estimate that the median household income is roughly $90,000, which would limit council members' salary and benefits to $13,500 a year.

Council members receive a $600 monthly stipend, as well as the option to enroll in health and life insurance plans. In fiscal year 2009-10, council members earned $8,490 for their time spent at various meetings, and the city paid as much as $14,800 per council member who accepted medical, dental, vision and life insurance.

A council member who takes full advantage of the benefits receives the equivalent of $23,000.

---- Measure E would limit the total compensation for the city manager and his employees to 2.5 times the median household income in the city. The cap would include all benefits and allowances, but, according to the measure, would not apply to public safety personnel.

Last year, City Manager Rick Dudley was the second-highest paid employee in the city after Police Chief Mark Wright. If approved, Measure E could cap Dudley's total earnings, including the value of benefits, at roughly $225,000. Wright's earnings would not be affected.

In 2009-10, Dudley earned $221,062, while Wright earned $221,089. Additionally, the city spent $49,500 on payments for Dudley's retirement plan, medical, dental and vision benefits, and disability and life insurance.

The second-highest earner to whom Measure E would apply is Assistant City Manager Jim Holston. In 2009, Holston earned $181,189, and the city paid out an additional $43,000 for his benefits and retirement plan.

Those opposed

Last month, four Murrieta residents ---- community activist Barbara Nugent, Murrieta Valley Unified School District Trustee Paul Diffley, former Murrieta Police Chief Larry Dean, and resident Ruthanne Taylor Berger ---- collectively filed statements to oppose each of the initiatives.

"I thought this should come from the citizens that it was going to affect," said Nugent, who helped write the statements. "I thought that coming from us it would be more meaningful to other voters."

Initiative opponents say Measure C, which would impose term limits, is unnecessary; Measure D, which would limit council members' compensation, is ill-conceived; and Measure E, which would limit city employees' pay, would hinder the city's ability to hire qualified candidates.

"If an inexperienced plumber showed up on your doorstep with only a toolkit and a smile, you'd turn him away in a heartbeat, even if he promised to do the job for half the cost of a professional plumber," the opposition statement to Measure E reads. "The same is true of a City Manager position. Murrieta had some difficult experiences as it grew, with managers who lacked the expertise to cope with medium-size-city problems. Expertise requires a fair market salary; one gets what one pays for."

The group's statement on term limits says implementing such a restriction would "steal your liberty" to vote for the most qualified candidate.

"It implies that Murrieta voters aren't bright enough, or concerned enough, to choose between removing a bad candidate or keeping a good candidate," the statement reads. "Having seen term limits imposed at the state level, you easily understand the absolute mess term limits created in the Legislature; there is no one with long-term experience to engineer compromise and progress from either side."

And Measure D, the group said, is "rigid" in its intention to limit elected officials' compensation.

"Often the time spent on (council members duties) totals far more than 40 hours weekly, making this $600 stipend equivalent to approximately $3.75 per hour," the statement reads. "No fat cats here, no secret club memberships, just working folks trying to make the city a better place for families."

Rebuttal to opposition

In rebuttal statements, initiative author Bob Kowell, Mt. San Jacinto College Foundation former President Richard Ackerman, Temecula City Council candidate Patrice Lynes and Murrieta City Council candidates Douglas Gibbs and Emilia Rychener, collectively said each of the initiatives are imperative to protecting public money.

"Ask yourselves why anyone would want to serve as a volunteer council person for more than 8 years and spend a lot of money to stay on the city council," the rebuttal says of Measure C. "Our Founding Fathers didn't have term limits because they didn't abuse their time in office. Today's leadership is tied to special interests."

In response to the argument that limiting council members' compensation would be a financial imposition to elected leaders, those in support of Measure D said council members shouldn't rely on their stipends to make their ends meet.

"All of us have had to adopt budgets in accordance with the hard times we are facing," the rebuttal reads. "The city council should adapt the same way we have to."

And in response to assertions that capping top city employees' salaries could reduce the recruitment pool to unqualified candidates, initiative supporters pointed north to the city of Bell, where top administrators and city officials were found to be paying themselves exorbitant salaries while reducing staff.

"Hiring from an inner circle of bureaucrats doesn't help Murrieta," the rebuttal states. "We won't be alone in this effort to bring down city management salaries. Had the City of Bell and others considered this years ago, they would not be facing the present situation."

Call staff writer Nelsy Rodriguez at 951-676-4315, ext. 2626.