Beneficiant exit packages, fringe advantages and depart cash-outs positioned seven Southern California officers onto an inventory of the Prime 10 best-paid metropolis managers within the state in 2023, in keeping with newly released payroll data from the State Controller’s Workplace.
The previous metropolis supervisor of the tiny metropolis of Commerce, Edgar Cisneros, topped the state’s chart, together with his whole wages touchdown at $639,326, because of an additional $400,000 in lump-sum funds made following his resignation in November. Cisneros’ wages bypassed the runner-up, Sacramento Metropolis Supervisor Howard Chan, by practically $50,000.
The majority of Cisneros’ further pay from Commerce, residence to about 12,000 residents, got here from a separation settlement during which town agreed to pay the remaining 13 months left on his contract and to money out his accrued sick and trip time, information confirmed.
Cisneros stepped down after he was recognized in a federal cannabis probe and as questions mounted about his administration’s sweetheart deals with a local trucking company. Regardless of the controversies, the Metropolis Council, keen for brand new management, didn’t have trigger to dismiss Cisneros and opted to pay him out to keep away from potential litigation sooner or later, Mayor Hugo Argumedo stated.
“We tried to make it as amicable as we may,” Argumedo stated. “It may have change into contentious and that’s what we tried to keep away from. It was rather a lot cheaper for us to maneuver on this route.”
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Six of the seven highest paid metropolis managers in Southern California final 12 months separated from their cities and picked up a median of $238,858 in further compensation on the way in which out the door, the info confirmed. That’s solely barely lower than what a typical metropolis supervisor in California makes as their common wage.
Pomona, Rialto close to prime of checklist
Former Pomona Metropolis Supervisor James Makshanoff and former Rialto City Manager Marcus Fuller had been the third and fourth highest paid metropolis managers within the state in 2023, incomes $584,525 and $555,106, respectively, in keeping with the State Controller’s Workplace.
In December, Pomona and Makshanoff jointly announced that Makshanoff, who had served as Pomona’s metropolis supervisor for 4 years, can be departing following a depart of absence. The explanation for his departure was not disclosed, and it was unclear whether or not he voluntarily resigned or was compelled out. Per the phrases of Makshanoff’s separation settlement, town agreed to pay him $604,975 in installments in 2023 and 2024.
By comparability, Makshanoff made $283,364 in 2022.
In the meantime, Fuller resigned from Rialto in January 2023 after 18 months on the job. Town attributed his departure to “administration variations.”
In accordance with his separation settlement, Fuller obtained $99,161 for earned wage and accrued advantages by January 2023, plus a lump sum of $430,000.
Rialto Councilmember Ed Scott stated the lump sum coated 16 months of extra pay for Fuller, by April 2024.
Rialto has churned by three metropolis managers prior to now 5 years. The latest, David Carmany, lasted less than three months.
Certified candidates exhausting to seek out
Scott stated Rialto isn’t the one metropolis struggling to seek out and retain certified metropolis managers. The issue is statewide, he stated.
The expertise pool is small, and most of the most certified or proficient metropolis supervisor candidates, in keeping with Scott, are searching for work as consultants within the non-public sector, which pays considerably extra. It forces cities to compete by providing greater salaries, even to these with spotty backgrounds or little expertise.
“If you seek for metropolis managers, there’s not a giant pool to pick from. So that you wind up with metropolis managers with baggage, or they’re inexperienced. We have to rethink how we negotiate contracts,” Scott stated. “All of them need some huge cash, however they don’t have plenty of expertise.”
Orange County exits
In Orange County, former Laguna Seashore Metropolis Supervisor Shohreh Dupuis and former Huntington Seashore Metropolis Supervisor Al Zelinka each walked away with greater than half one million {dollars} in wages in 2023.
Dupuis’ retirement in September 2023 got here roughly two years after she was promoted to the highest spot. In a news release on the time, Laguna Seashore acknowledged Dupuis’ choice “comes on account of a mutually agreed-upon separation settlement that was negotiated in response to a hostile office declare filed by Dupuis following a interval of battle with a Metropolis Councilmember.”
Throughout that tense 12 months, unknown vandals smeared feces or sewage at her residence.
“This settlement represents the most effective path ahead as we handle the various points going through our neighborhood,” Mayor Bob Whalen stated in an announcement. “By following this plan of action, we restrict the potential authorized and monetary publicity to the Metropolis and may transfer ahead with discovering a brand new Metropolis Supervisor and prioritizing the general public’s enterprise.”
The agreement included 9 months of severance, a settlement fee of $223,077, and $10,000 to cowl Dupuis’ authorized prices. Her whole wages in 2023 landed at $514,080 in consequence.
A spokesperson for Huntington Seashore declined to supply a replica of an settlement entered into with Zelinka on the time of his resignation, stating that it’s a “confidential personnel doc.” Zelinka previously announced he had determined to resign to take care of his aged mom. Several department heads left their jobs that very same 12 months.
The state controller’s public pay database lists Zelinka as receiving $278,828 in common pay, $44,389 in lump-sum pay and $183,766 in different pay.
Inglewood longtime metropolis supervisor
Inglewood’s longtime metropolis supervisor, Artie Fields, landed within the eighth spot. Fields joined town in 2011 and helped information it by a dramatic transformation that included securing houses for 3 nationwide sports activities groups. He introduced his retirement on the finish of 2023.
Fields informed Inglewood Today he determined to retire as a result of he’s a single father and needs to spend extra time together with his son.
Fields collected $304,146 in common pay, $132,369 in lump sum pay and $67,222 in different pay, in keeping with the State Controller’s Workplace. The lump sum included a cash-out of his accrued depart and he obtained a $20,000 advantage bonus, in keeping with Mayor James T. Butts Jr.
Beverly Hills Metropolis Supervisor Nancy Hunt-Coffey is the one Southern California metropolis supervisor among the many state’s Prime 10 highest paid who continues to be on the job.
Hunt-Coffey, who started her tenure in January 2023, made $477,790 final 12 months, together with about $90,000 in further pay, information confirmed.
Employees author Mercedes Cannon-Tran and viewers engagement producer Dorothy Elder contributed to this report.
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