CM salaries
Speaking of city managers, in talking to La Puente Mayor Louie Lujan on Wednesday about Frank Tripepi's recent appointment to transition manager, Lujan started talking about the possibility of La Puente needing to reevaluate it's city manager salary when a full-time replacement is hired.
Lujan talked about the decreasing pool of qualified city managers out there. He also referred to this story (salaries.pdf) from the Press-Enterprise about upped city manager salaries.
I spotted a $300,000-something salary in there somewhere.
Yikes.
Carol Cowley was making roughly $140,000 when she retired last month. But that's because, Lujan said, she didn't have a degree and she had no experience.
If Tripepi were to stay on as a transition manager for a year, he'd make $240,000 in La Puente.
Lujan talked about a very narrow gap between the lowest and highest city manager salaries in the SGV. Let's take a look.
In Rosemead, City Manager Oliver Chi makes about $178,000 a year.
Irwindale's Robert Griego makes about $180,000.
Michelle Keith took a job as Bradbury's city manager for $106,000 a year.
Covina's former city manager Paul Phillips -- who was city manager for eight years -- got $95,280 as part of a six-month severance package when he was fired a few months back. Double that, and the figure you get was his outgoing salary.
Cynthia Kurtz, who is serving as Covina's interim, is making $12,900 per month -- if she were there for a year, she'd make $154,000.
And in Pasadena, Michael Beck makes about $265,000 a year.
All this salary spent on Tripepi and who suffers? The residents of La Puente when they cut programs and city events. Council doesn't care about the residents or want to improve the City. They only care about themselves and who can be their puppet.
I disagree with anonymous.
I actually applaud the Council. I was skeptical at first, but they seem to be getting the job done.
At $300K for a city manager job, who would want to US Prez?
I know! We are in the wrong field. My dad works for the City of Norwalk and he was saying that their guy gets about $200k.
Oh well, I guess you gotta do what ya gotta do!
Hey, I have no experience, but I do have a degree. I'd be happy to learn on the job as a city manager, and I'd be willing to do it for a mere $139,000 a year!
You, my friend, are hired!
I agree, the salary is to much and over the top. I heard that this guy is a good friend of the Mayor and that's why he was hired.
...On more thing, well Holloway got his wish to have Carol Cowley fired. Oh well, at least this Council has the balls to hire a good CM.
Even though the salary seems a bit high, I support the Council to move ahead.