SACRAMENTO, Calif. -  

State employees will receive an average about $3,000 more per year in salary and benefits under Governor Brown’s budget proposal, released yesterday.

The increases for the two hundred thousand plus employees under the governor’s authority would cost the state about $500 million more next fiscal year.

California finance director Ana  Matosantos says the current employees’ contract calls for pay reductions due to furlough days and increased employee retirement contributions.  It also calls for top-tier employees to receive future raises to offset those contributions.

“The net effect of this is that state employee compensation will essentially return to the level that it was before all of these reductions started in 2008 and 2009,” said Matosantos

But the governor’s proposal doesn’t call for any more furlough days that could keep costs down.  State senate republican leader bob huff says more tax money due to the passage of proposition 30 shouldn’t translate into more money for state employees.

New contract negotiations with state employees will begin within the next few weeks.