List shows salaries of some top California officials

The California state controller's office has released a list of salaries earned by top officials in California's special districts.

The Los Angeles Times' Sam Allen reported that at least 15 officials made more than $300,000 in 2009:

Controller John Chiang demanded salary information from nearly 900 local government entities — but more than 172 either refused to provide information or provided inadequate data. Some now face possible fines up to $5,000. The compensation figures, posted Tuesday to a database on the controller's website, cover employees from 693 transit, waste disposal, and fire and police protection districts.

Several Los Angeles-area officials ranked among the highest-paid employees listed Tuesday, including Expo Line Construction Authority Chief Executive Richard Thorpe and former Metrolink Chief Executive David Solow, who in 2009 made $371,917 and $340,381, respectively.

The top salaries released by the controller's office for various special districts:

$420,400 - East Bay Municipal Utility District
$403,021 - Orange County Transportation Authority
$400,668 - San Mateo County Transit District
$376,297 - Santa Margarita Water District
$371,917 - Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit
$355,809 - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
$354,010 - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
$350,503 - Coachella Valley Water District
$347,153 - San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
$344,466 - Cucamonga County Water District
$341,380 - Southern California Regional Rail Authority
$329,896 - County Sanitation District No. 2 (Los Angeles)
$312,061 - Inland Empire Utilities Agency
$308,216 - Irvine Ranch Water District
$303,878 - Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District
$289,340 - San Ramon Valley Fire Protection
$289,293 - Rubidoux Community Services District
$286,993 - Chino Valley Independent Fire District
$286,152 - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District

Comments

[Rod]

goodie.. now we get to pay 90% of this when they retire for the next 40 years..

[Mike]

So citizens are expected to pay higher taxes to support bloated salaries. I vote NO.

[Carol]

Is it really that hard to find the right person to fill these positions that you need to pay such high salaries? Are these positions really worth so much more than the cop on the beat or the fire fighter that saves you and your house?

[Confucious]

They work for us, we don't work for them... Let the heads roll.

[nikeylyn]

I knew CA officials were already overpaid but that is more rediculous than I thought.. City and State workers are way over paid too.
That is why CA is broke. Remember that salary does'nt include the city car, the free child care or the A1 medical/dental/eye insurance. It makes me SICK!! This city generates so much f'in money on parking tickets alone, there is no way we should be broke, or have pot holes on our streets, etc.

AND WE PAY FOR IT!!!

[glenn grab]

this makes me sick!!!

[stan]

who are these people and what do they do all day long to be making this much?
lets keep cutting teachers and emergency personel, god forbid they should have to move out of their mansions and in to a regular home!

[westsidejesse]

Bunch of horse pucky if you ask me.....fire them all! :)

[Bentham]

I dont see how this is sick, with all due respect, these people have tough jobs to do, and are the equivalent of Chief Executives, just working for the government. I have seen numerous underpaid government employees who have worked for decades at high level positions, yet they still only make 70,000 dollars a year. This populist mumbo jumbo against government employees needs to end. The Prison System in California is in part expensive due to Unions, but unnecessarily draconian drug laws don't help over incarceration either. One should look at this with a balanced perspective.

[Rogelio]

They make enough to get their own private retirement plan.

[u know]

How come we don't see any of the Bell city officials in the top ring here? Is this list accurate???

[Perry]

At the University of California -

Sheryl Vacca, SVP, Chief Compliance Officer makes over $400,000 annual, in addition, she has an automobile allowance of $8,916 per annum; Participation in the Mortgage Origination Loan Program (MOP), available to be exercised within a period not to exceed 24 months from date of employment;
Use of administrative funds for official entertainment and other purposes permitted by university policy. (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2007/sep20.html)

http://www.upte.org/about/press/2009-07-23.pdf Shelia Antrum, Chief Nursing and Patient Care Services Officer, UCSF Medical Center received a $37,500 “administrative stipend” to increase salary from $250,000 to $287,500. Stipend awarded even though no additional administrative duties were specified. Kenneth M. Jones, Interim Chief Operating Officer, UCSF Medical Center received a $30,563 “administrative stipend” to increase salary from $470,200 to $500,763. Stipend awarded even though no additional administrative duties were specified.

Karen A. Grimley, Chief Nursing Officer, UC Irvine Medical Center. The The proposed base salary of $274,000. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/24537

At California State University, IT Managers made over $155,000:

In 2008, administrators of the California State University made excessive salaries, as per http://www.sfgate.com/webdb/csupay/?appSession=072198393030386&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=1&cpipage=2&CPISortType=&CPIorderBy=

Jessie Lum Administrator IV Range A Chancellor's Office another manager made $155,004 in 2008

Claudia L Keith Administrator IV Range A Chancellor's Office $155,004

[mortgage compliance services]

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