Long Beach : Pay Raises of 10% to 17% Proposed for Top Officials

Reviewing the thorny issue of pay raises for the city’s top officials, a Long Beach City Council committee has recommended salary increases ranging from 10% to 17% for the city manager, city attorney, city prosecutor, city auditor and city clerk.

The proposed salary increases, which must be voted on by the full council, are smaller than those suggested by a private consultant hired to review the officials’ salaries. But committee members argued that the Hay Group’s recommendations were too heavily influenced by comparisons with private corporate salaries.

Under the proposal, all but the city manager’s salary would jump between 10% and 17% both this year and next. The city manager, who has the highest salary, would get 11% more this year and an undecided raise next year.

Currently, the city manager earns $118,200, the city attorney $99,800, the city prosecutor $92,000, the city auditor $84,400, and the city clerk $52,700.