Contra Costa Times Reveals Emeryville City Manager Among Highest Paid In Bay Area
Emeryville residents finally now have a quick and easy single repository to check on Emeryville's employee compensation and compare them to other Bay Area cities, courtesy of the Contra Costa Times. A quick search around the newspaper's 'public employee database' site enables viewers to see all base pay and total compensation packages broken down into benefit categories. Emery Unified School District employees are included in the database.
Viewers should select "Emeryville" in the 'entity' section for all city employees. To compare with other cities, don't specify an entity.
The database reveals that Emeryville City Manager Pat O'Keeffe is among the highest paid managers in the entire Bay Area with a total compensation listed at $316,952.
The site may be accessed here:
www.ContraCostaTimes.com/salaries
This also gives him a total compensation that is in the Top 10 Highest Paid City Employees in all of Alameda County. Only Livermore and Fremont's City Managers rake in more. Given Emeryville's size, this is out of balance.
ReplyDeleteThe real fault lies with the incumbents on the City Council who rubber stamp his contract every time it comes up for renewal. Since the incumbents won't address issues like this, it's time this fall for a new Council.
What do you mean we "finally now" have a database of city employee conpensation? Bay Area News Group (Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Mercury News) has had this database for at least a year. I beleve its been around even longer than that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing us this info. I am shocked. It looks like management receives up to 40 percent of extra pay in OT or other bonuses. How are we going to pay for their retirement when we do not have enough to pay for their healthcare. When you break it down, the numbers are staggering. Police and Fire average 200K, Clerical, Office and Fieldwork over 100K, Some teachers including Kindergarden 100K, Janitor 70K, Food Server 50K, Babysiter 50K. And I always hear that all these people are underpaid. Seriously, how are we going to address this situation?
ReplyDeleteFYI- Teachers at Emery Unified are paid less than the Bay Area average according to the superintendent of the schools.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at salaries, one should bear in mind how much actual cash a teacher makes (versus non-monetary compensation) to pay for housing to determine if that is a livable wage in the Bay Area. With Bay Area housing costs what they are, it can be credibly argued that teachers (and non-management at City Hall) are underpaid. In addition, teachers must incur copious quantities of debt for schooling they must pay back.
This argument is of course, predicated on the belief that a teacher should be able to reasonably live on their salaries.
There is a lot to be said regarding how much the top people are paid at city hall, especially when upper and middle management have been trying to rid the city of the lowest paid workers. Aside from that, I take umbrage at the comment "babysitters". I assume this person is referring to early educators. If you, the commentator, knew anything about the developing mind, neurobehavioral and social-emotional development you would not make such a banal statement.
ReplyDeleteAlso, remember that the big number in bold is the total cost of employment, that covers payouts for benefits, disability, and what not that the employing agency has to pay. Take about 60% of the gross figure, and that's what these people are taking home after taxes and deductions.
ReplyDeleteFor my job it says I get paid ~64k a year in that last column, I bring home 30k when it's all said and done.
well i'll be damned... i have been saying that okeefes salary and benefits appear to parallel the amounts received by the city manager in Bell,adjusted for population size; been saying his contract was renewed without open competitive bidding as far as i know; biddle it appears, has not had open competitive bidding for his position as well; no public info has been disclosed to the public by council members until now about these matters..
ReplyDeletesimilarly the council released no info re any consideration given by the council as well to contracting with firms for legal and city mgr services-until now..
fyi, i have asked jennifer west to pursue this several times; i have said this in emails to the council, the tattler, the google group..
i applaud bukowski for his efforts- and i continue to ask that he be removed and/or resign as well; everyone knows why...
perhaps, if probably overpaid and probably underperforming people are sent on their way, emeryvilles' citizens can benefit from the funds saved, from others expertise and from having on its council people who are willing to do the right thing when it comes to some wrongs that go unaddressed..
while my views are spoken as a citizen to his government, i hope others will continue to speak up as well on matters important to all of us as voters and citizens of emeryville..
walt watman
hello jennifer... it looks to me like you continue to ignore what you do not want to take on....when you ask for takes on the tax increases you mention while saying "jobs are not the only way to balance our budget" you refuse again to deal with the excessive salary and benefits of okeefe and biddle as well and refuse also to insist that the city post their positions on the open market either for direct contracting or contracting with attorneys at least who are not in house.... those are clearly other ways to help balance the budget..
Give Ms West a break, there's only so much she can do as the only progressive and thoughtful person on the council. It takes time. If you want change Walt, then help elect a better and more thoughtful, socially competent set of council members. People not beholding to big business, developers and redevelopment staff.
ReplyDeletei will respond only this once to mr. or ms anonymous since trying to speak with someone who does not identify themself is as useful as having a conversation with no one...give us all a break and make yourself known..
ReplyDeletewest has had time.. it may be her ambition for higher office that prevents her from fulfulling her campaign comments....as for me, i have publicly stated on several forums that i would gladly support any candidates willing to come down on the right side of several issues i have also identified, numerous times..
How about a four day a week schedule for non essential city staff now that redevelopment is ended? You cut Mr. O'Keefee's salary by 1/5 and that is $60,000/year -- that could save the taxpayers a ton of money and save some jobs. Think of all the money that could be saved if you add in all the other high paid city staff. The director of redevelopment makes over $200,000. I don't know why they don't cut that position out and get more people to do the front line work. Those jobs are not managers but good old union jobs.
ReplyDelete-- Joe