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Hyperlocal public employee salaries, 2008-2011

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Jan 18, 2012—Sunshine Review released its first state government salary report, which analyzed public sector employee salaries in 152 local governments spanning eight states. Taking data from the last four years, Sunshine Review investigated benefits information as well as information on government perks, such as car fleets and cell phones for public sector employees in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Wisconsin.

Sunshine Review's study showed that of the states analyzed, California had the largest number of public sector employees making over $150,000, with 1332 employees. Illinois followed in second with 867 and Texas was third with 194.

California also had the highest paid public official during the last four years. Robert Rizzo, former city manager of Bell, California, made $787,637 in 2008, or $1.5 million when taking other government benefits into account, the highest of any public employee surveyed since 2008. The next highest salary of the governments surveyed was the Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare in Cook County, Illinois, who earned $500,000 in 2011.

Looking at specific job fields, the study showed that three of the top eight salaries were related to law enforcement. These comprised of a Sheriff-Coroner in California, a Superintendent of Police in Illinois and a Detective in Wisconsin. High earners in the medical field earned more than most governors. For example, the average governor's salary was $130,595.10, while in Jacksonville, Florida, the top salary for 2011 was $208,119.00 for an employee in the Medical Examiner's office. Lastly, fire personnel high earners made salaries in the high $100,000s.

Sunshine Review's analysis clearly shows where taxpayer money goes and how much of it is allotted on salaries and government perks. "This information is vital to ensuring that government remains open and accountable to the people that it represents," said Mike Barnhart, President of Sunshine Review.

To complete this study, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The salary information garnered from these states was a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments from 2008 to 2011.


California local government salary

  • Los Angeles County
  • Orange County
  • Riverside County
  • San Diego County
  • Los Angeles Unified School District
  • San Diego City Unified School District
  • San Francisco Unified School District
  • Kern Union High School District
  • San Diego
  • Los Angeles
  • Los Angeles County Police Department, California
  • Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department, California
  • Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Department, California
  • San Diego County Sheriff, California
  • San Diego Police Department, California
  • Los Angeles Police Department, California
  • California Highway Patrol, California
  • San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, California
  • Los Angeles Fire Department, California

Illinois local government salary

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Illinois local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

Aurora • Chicago • Lake County • Cook County • DuPage County • Will County • Township High School District 211 • Chicago Public School District 299 • Township High School District 214 • School District U-46 • Illinois State Police • Chicago Police Department • Will County Sheriff • Cook County Sheriff • DuPage County Sheriff • Lake County Sheriff • Aurora Police Department • Aurora Fire Department • Chicago Fire Department

Florida local government salary

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Florida local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

Miami-Dade County • Broward County • Palm Beach County • Hillsborough County • Miami-Dade County School District • Broward County Public Schools • Palm Beach County School District • Hillsborough County School District • Miami • Jacksonville • Miami-Dade Police Department, Florida • Broward County Sheriff's Office, Florida • Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Florida • Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida • Miami Police Department, Florida • Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Florida • Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida • Miami Department of Fire-Rescue, Florida • Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Florida

Michigan local government salary

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Michigan local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

•Wayne County • Oakland County • Macomb County • Kent County • Detroit City School District • Grand Rapids Public Schools • Utica Community Schools • Ann Arbor Public Schools • Grand Rapids • Detroit • Wayne County Sheriff • Oakland County Sheriff • Macomb County Sheriff • Kent County Sheriff • Grand Rapids Police Department • Detroit Police Department • Michigan State Police • Grand Rapids Fire Department • Detroit Fire Department

New Jersey local government salary

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New Jersey local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

Bergen County • Middlesex County • Essex County • Monmouth County • Newark Public Schools • Jersey City School District • Freehold Regional High School District • Paterson Public Schools • Jersey City • Newark • Bergen County Police Department, New Jersey • Middlesex County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey • Essex County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey • Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey • Jersey City Police Department, New Jersey • Newark Police Department, New Jersey • New Jersey State Police, New Jersey • Jersey City Department of Fire and Emergency Services, New Jersey • Newark Fire Department, New Jersey

Pennsylvania local government salary

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Pennsylvania local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

Philadelphia County • Allegheny County • Montgomery County • Bucks County • Philadelphia City School District • Pittsburgh School District • Bethlehem Area School District • Allentown City School District • Pittsburgh • Philadelphia • Philadelphia Police Department • Allegheny County Police Department • Montgomery County Sheriff's Department • Bucks County Sheriff Office • Pittsburgh Bureau of Police • Philadelphia Police Department • Pennsylvania State Police • Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire • Philadelphia Fire Department

Texas local government salary

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Texas local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

Harris County • Dallas County • Tarrant County • Bexar County • Houston Independent School District • Dallas Independent School District • Austin Independent School • Fort Worth Independent School District • San Antonio • Houston • Harris County Sheriff • Dallas County Sheriff • Tarrant County Sheriff's Office • Bexar County Sheriff's Office • San Antonio Police Department • Houston Police Department • Texas Department of Public Safety • San Antonio Fire Department • Houston Fire Department

Wisconsin local government salary

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Wisconsin local government employee salaries
By type

Cities
Counties • School districts • Law enforcement • Fire departments

Local governments

Milwaukee County • Dane County • Waukesha County • Brown County • Milwaukee School District • Madison Metropolitan School District • Green Bay Area School District • Racine School District • Madison • Milwaukee • Milwaukee Office of the Sheriff, Wisconsin • Dane County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin • Waukesha County Sheriff, Wisconsin • Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin • Madison Police Department, Wisconsin • Milwaukee Police Department, Wisconsin • Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin • City of Madison Fire Department, Wisconsin • Milwaukee Fire Department, Wisconsin

Salary disclosure and corruption: Bell, California 2010

In July 2010, The Los Angeles Times reported that officials in Bell, California were making high salaries.[1] Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo was earning a yearly $787,637. It was later reported that Rizzo's total compensation after taking benefits into account topped $1.5 million dollars a year.[2]

For comparison:[1]

  • Manhattan Beach, with about 7,000 fewer people than Bell, paid its most recent city manager $257,484 a year.
  • Long Beach, with a population close to 500,000, paid its city manager $235,000 annually.
  • Los Angeles County paid its Chief Executive William T Fujioka $338,458.

Solution: open government, transparency, proactive disclosure

After this report was released, governments began to proactively disclose salary information of their employees. Before the end of the summer of 2010, more than a dozen cities in Orange County, for example, posted salary information on the front pages of their websites.[3]

The cost of transparency websites maintaining such information ranges from the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands. These websites also save money, and this often is not taken into account when measuring costs.

Citizens upset about the reports formed a group called the Bell Association to Stop the Abuse, which pushed for an independent audit of city salaries and contracts.[4]

A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said that the city of Philadelphia has a problem with the efficiency and costs of public employee pensions.[5] The amount that Philadelphia pays to pension recipients limits the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.

The report revealed that there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701.[5] The authors of the study recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions.[5] First, improve data collection so that decision-making in terms of pension policies is more informed. Second, promote transparency for better accountability to citizens. Third, reduce costs and use the savings for developing Philadelphia.

Resistance to disclosure

The idea of disclosing public employee salaries is relatively new. In 2008, several local government employee associations and unions protested the posting of state employee salaries by newspaper The Sacramento Bee.[6][7] At the time, it was seen as a safety risk and invasion of privacy.


Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Los Angeles Times "Bell city manager might be highest paid in nation: $787,637 a year," July 14, 2010
  2. ↑ The Los Angeles Times "Benefits push Bell ex-manager's compensation to more than $1.5 million," August 8, 2010
  3. ↑ The Orange County Register "O.C. cities dash to post personnel salaries," August 10, 2010
  4. ↑ Bloomberg "California Official's $800,000 Salary in City of 38,000 Triggers Protests," July 20, 2010
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
  6. ↑ GovTech "California State Workers Protest Salary Database Publication," March 17, 2008
  7. ↑ The Sacramento Bee "State Worker Salary Search"
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