City Manager Had Quarter-Million Dollar Salary In 2008
— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 10 November 2009 — 2 comments below »
The City Manager position is a tough job in any city, probably more so in Hercules, and it pays well. According to the Contra Costa Times database, City Manager Nelson Oliva had a final take-home pay of $248k in 2008. That amount includes a base salary of $201k and performance bonuses* of more than $46k. Oliva is also the Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency.
That amount is nearly double the next three city positions in terms of total salary (not including police), which are the directors of Community Development, Public Works, and Finance and Personnel.
The City Council approved retroactive salary increases across the board earlier this year in an effort to “make Hercules salaries competitive with other cities,” an effort to retain and attract talent at all levels in city government.
* The database lists certain salary as “other” with the explanation that it “represents all taxable pay that isn’t base or overtime, such as performance bonuses, uniform allowances and extra pay for educational achievements.” City policy allows up to 10 percent of base salary in bonus pay for senior managers, or $20k in the case of Nelson Oliva in 2008. The additional amount may include perks, such as the use of a City-owned vehicle.
Probably earned more … typically, city department heads are awarded ‘management leave” that is above and beyond the earned salary as additional compensation in lieu of overtime. Chances are he gets 5-6 weeks paid vacation, so tyypically the “management leave” is cashed in.
Salary increases, in a recession? To keep Hercules “competitive” with other jurisdictions? Wonder what the city managers in Pinole, Rodeo, Richmond and other neighboring cities earn?
I do agree with consistent salary increases for staff level positions as a policy to retain and attract talent.