Politics & Government

Moniz Tops List of City Salaries Second Year in a Row

The Bay Area News Group released its database of public employee salaries on Sunday. Moniz remained the highest paid city manager in the Bay Area in 2010, the report shows.

Recently retired Herb Moniz was paid more than any city manager in the Bay Area for the second year in a row, according to a database of public employee wages published Sunday by the Bay Area News Group.

Moniz, , took home $357,099 in 2010 and $356,541 the year before in gross wages.

His total compensation – benefits, insurance costs, medical and employer pension contributions – was not provided.

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Unlike most public agencies that responded to the newspaper’s survey, however, San Ramon refused to disclose base salaries, medical and employee pension contributions, overtime and other amounts calculated into a total compensation package.

To compile the rest of the information would have been too costly, according to city spokeswoman Cheryl Wade.

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Still, only 10 of the 224,346 public employees in the Bay Area on the list took home more cash compensation in 2010 than Moniz. The folks who earned more included police chiefs, fire chiefs and other high-ranking public safety officers of San Jose, Santa Clara, Millbrae and San Francisco as well as an Alameda County administrator and an AC Transit official.

Other San Ramon Valley public employees ranked high on the list, too.

Only 11 others earned more than Fire Chief Richard Price last year.

The head of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District took home $437,382 in total compensation, including medical benefits and employer pension contributions. His base salary came to $208,104.

The report shows the local fire agency paid 161 of its 204 employees at least a six-figure gross income.

Of the 4,078 people who work for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, 89 of them earned $100,000 or more in gross wages.

City salaries

As the city gears up for its fall mayoral and City Council elections, the city manager’s salary continues to be a source of controversy.

During last year’s elections, state Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, used Moniz’s salary in her attack ads against her opponent, San Ramon Mayor H. Abram Wilson, in an attempt to undermine his claims of being a fiscal conservative.

Wilson lost his bid for the 15th Assembly District. Wilson terms out as mayor at the year's end, .

Public officials may have to answer for Moniz’s 2010 salary this election cycle, too, and whatever amount they agree to pay his replacement, Greg Rogers.

The City Council has not yet voted on the salary for Rogers, who stepped up from Administrative Services Director to city manager on April 1.

A call to the mayor for this story was not immediately returned. But Wilson and City Councilman Dave Hudson have defended Moniz's salary in the past as fair compensation for someone who's good at his job.

Wilson has also noted that Moniz didn't have an assistant city manager, which many municipalities employ. In that way, he said, the city actually saves money.

Still, some residents say it's too high. Especially in light of recent economic troubles, a government budget crisis, increasing fees and taxes .

Other high-earning city staffers (gross wages only):

  • Adminsitrative Services Division Manager Steven Kaegy, $207,051
  • Public Services Director Karen McNamara, $197,410
  • Administrative Services Director Greg Rogers (now city manager), $197,287
  • Economic and Redevelopment Agency Director Marc Fontes, $196,123
  • Police Officer Martin Echelmeier, $195,850
  • Planning and Community Development Director Phillip Wong, $194,525
  • Director of Police Services Greg Holder, $190,970
  • City Manager's Office Executive Director Cheryl Wade, $185,121
  • Police Sgt. Thomas Larocque, $172,645
  • Police Sgt. Patrick Cerruti, $170,439

Fire department

Price's total compensation package of more than $437,000 includes a nearly $151,000 employer pension contribution and $54,325 in other cash deferrals.

Fire district spokeswoman Kim French said the agency aims to be as transparent as possible. The department's website, www.firedepartment.org includes information about salary, benefits and other public information, she noted.

The district serves 169,000 people in San Ramon, Danville, Blackhawk, Alamo, Diablo and other unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. It's one of few nationally accredited fire agencies in the nation.

About 94 percent of the district's funding comes from property taxes along with its service areas, ambulance fees and interest income. Its total revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 was $53,064,129, according to the website.

The police chief doesn't earn overtime. But like many police officers, some firefighters and battalion chiefs beef up their take-home pay with tens of thousands of dollars in overtime.

The total cost of employment for many local firefighters – that includes medical, vacation, overtime and retirement contributions – hovered around $250,000 last year.

Other high-earners after the fire chief (total compensation package, includes overtime):

  • Assistant Chief Bryan Collins, $391,454
  • Assistant Chief Steven J. Hart, $379,877
  • Battalion Chief John E. Viera, $370,813
  • Battalion Chief John F. Barton, $357,182
  • Battalion Chief Michael J. Picard, $346,229
  • Battalion Chief Derek K. Krause, $323,586
  • Capt. Paramedic Matthew W. Dakin, $323,335
  • Capt. Paramedic James Martin III, $312,532
  • Division Chief John P. Duggan, $311,890
  • Capt. Paramedic Daniel P. McNamara, $309,247

School salaries

The local school district is the largest public agency in the San Ramon Valley – in terms of both its workforce and annual operating budget.

Superintendent Steven Enoch's base salary in 2010 was $237,333. With employer medical and pension contributions, his total cost of employment came to $273,385.

A dozen superintendents were higher than Enoch on the list. The head of the San Lorenzo Unified School District topped it with a base salary of $265,961 and a total compensation package of $411,561.

Enoch oversees a district of nearly 30,000 students who achieve some of the highest standardized test scores in California.

Other top-earners in the local school district (total cost of employment, includes overtime, retirement and medical contributions):

  • Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Gary Black, $228,027
  • Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Christine Williams, $217,240
  • Senior Director of Operations in Business Services Thomas Jamison, $179,112
  • Director of Facilities Richard Lowell, $175,855
  • Senior Director of Educational Services Leslie Anderson, $175,855
  • Director of Certificated Personnel Richard Caldera, $167,909
  • Director of Categorical Programs and Staff Development Kirby Hoy, $167,780
  • Director of Classified Personnel Cherie Bates, $165,131
  • Director of Special Programs Karen Heilbronner, $162,875
  • San Ramon Valley High School Principal Joseph Ianorra, $162,737

To view the database, check out www.mercurynews.com/salaries/bay-area/2010.


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