Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Exactly why do 105 Santa Monica City employees, make more than $300,000 a year?
"Small City, Big Pay:"
We've been talking about it for years: The huge paychecks paid by the City of Santa Monica to its progressive bureaucrats. Now it's finally attracted the attention of CBS News media.
Why do 105 Santa Monica City employees, make more than $300,000 a year? Tune in to the channel 2 News at 11 pm Monday, and find out. Good luck explaining that one, guys. "Small City, Big Pay."
The Santa Monica city manager makes $450,000 a year which is 20% less than the $650,000 a year the city manager of Bell made. Of course he went to jail.
The average police officer in Santa Monica makes $94,000 a year. Many of them make much more. And it's not just pay that is high; policemen and firemen retire at 55 with a full pension.
Many in the local anti-growth movement suspect that the high salaries pensions and other benefits are the impetus behind the wave of enormous developments approved over the last several years by the city staff, Few of whom actually live here
Reader Comments(6)
Star1 writes:
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US, LA has 0.6 percent of its employees who make more than 200K per year while Santa Monica has 5.4 percent. LA's CEO makes 232K while SM's former City Manager made 484K. LA has 1 employee per 28 residents while Santa Monica has a 1 to 16 ratio. How can such a small city justify such excessive salaries and over staffing to residents whose media income is 72K? Our City Council, Administation and unions are complicit in institutional corruption which makes the City of Bell pale in comparison. An independent audit is warranted NOW.
11/16/2016, 1:25 am
helpus writes:
Real businesses that actually make money don't pay their employees this much why should a non profit organization spending tax payer money pay people like this. Mike Pence made less than $130K last year as Governor of Indiana. Why are we paying police and fire staff more than double what a Governor is paid? Who is approving these crazy salaries?
11/15/2016, 5:50 pm
taxburdened writes:
top of the list Employee Name Job Title Total Pay & Benefits Jacqueline A Seabrooks Police Chief 478,120.0 Jaime Hernandez Jr Police Sergeant 475,546.0 Alfonso H Venegas Deputy Police Chief 455,914.0 Joseph Lawrence Asst City Attorney 442,414.0 Elaine M Polachek Asst City Manager 440,661.0 Marsha J Moutrie City Attorney 439,969.0 Matthew G Wesner Fire Captain - Suppression 424,367.0 Wendell J Shirley Police Captain 423,554.0 Kenneth G Semko Police Captain 419,554.0 Daniel J Salerno Police Captain 408,538.0 Jeffrey S Connor Fire Captain - Suppression 407,797.0 Bart J Eirich Fire Captain - Suppression 402,799.0 Martin Pastucha Dir of Public Wrks/Airport Dir 400,352.0 Michael W Mcelvaney Battalion Chief - Suppression 396,330.0 Michael Braaten Police Sergeant 393,603.0 Adam Radinsky Deputy City Attorney III 386,816.0 Lance S Gams Deputy City Attorney III 386,735.0 Edward Rubish Police Sergeant 385,722.0 Walter Patton Fire Captain - Suppression 384,646
11/15/2016, 7:36 am
Rondezvous writes:
Before you publish articles as news, you really should do some homework. I don't know where you get these numbers, but they're not even close to accurate. The SM police department is severely under staffed which requires officers to work a lot of overtime which increases their pay. Does it matter if one officer makes $200k a year or if two officers make $100k a year. It's actually cheaper for one officer because the city is only paying benefits for one employee instead of two. Officers killed by gun fire from bad guys is up 56% this year. If anyone deserves a pension for putting their lives on the line on a daily basis it's police officers. And the reality is SMPD provides ten fold the service of any other agency. If you have lived anywhere else you would know this. The pay is a reflection of that service. You're welcome.
11/14/2016, 11:34 pm
concerned writes:
This is unconscionable. I looked at the City Attorney's office. Supposed to protect us but grossly overpaid - making THREE TIMES what an experienced federal prosecutor or judge makes. The boss makes almost $440,000 and the deputy City Attorneys have total benefits over $380,000!!! That's $100+k more than LA City pays. you can see it all at this website. http://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/santa-monica/
11/14/2016, 6:57 pm
Bright1 writes:
As a resident, this pay is obscene. In addition to outrageous salaries and compensation packages, the city is overstaffed and the tax payers are on the hook. The city council continues to approve increases without justification to it's residents. The unions in tern support any measures that the city council pushes. The city council is controlled by the Santa Monica Rent Control board. They push development which increases density for cherry picked projects. It's a corrupt system that's finally being exposed.
11/14/2016, 7:08 am