(a) In Contra Costa County, the annual salary of each regular official reporter shall be based on a four-step salary plan as established by joint action and approval of the board of supervisors and a majority of the judges of the court. The step of entry shall be step one. However, the judges of the court may appoint any such reporter to a duly allocated exempt position at a higher step if, in the opinion of the appointing judge, an individual to be appointed has the experience and qualifications to entitle that individual to a higher initial step, but in no case may the initial salary be above the third step of the salary range. Official reporters shall advance to the next higher step on the salary plan annually, upon affirmative approval of the appointing authority. The compensation of each official reporter pro tempore shall be an amount which is equivalent to 1.05 times the daily wage of the fourth step in the salary range for full-time official reporters in Contra Costa County for each day the reporter is on duty under order of the court. Additional official reporters pro tempore may also be appointed on a half-day basis as the business of the court requires. Those reporters shall be compensated at a rate which is 55 percent of the daily wage of an official reporter pro tempore for each period up to four hours that the reporter is on duty under the order of the court.
(b) During the hours which the court is open for the transaction of judicial business, the regular official reporter shall perform the duties required by law. When not engaged in the performance of any other duty imposed upon him or her by law, he or she shall render stenographic or clerical assistance to the judge of the court to which he or she is assigned as that judge may direct.
(c) The board of supervisors shall adjust the salary of regular official reporters as part of its regular review of county employee compensation. The adjustment shall be to that salary level closest to the average percentage adjustment in basic salaries of the county classes of superior court clerk, legal clerk, secretary, and clerk (experienced level), and shall be effective on the same date.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 696, Sec. 44. Effective September 15, 1992.)