West Sacramento, CA (MPG) - The West Sacramento City Council recently approved an amended employment agreement for City Manager Martin Tuttle. Mr. Tuttle has been employed as the City Manager for the City of West Sacramento since June 20th, 2012, officially serving since July 10th, 2012. His employment agreement was amended in September 2013 and October 2014, and he received performance-based increases in his salary both years.

The latest vote to approve the City Manager’s employment agreement was not discussed at the City Council meeting. It was approved by only the Mayor and two Council Members who were in attendance at the meeting. The City Manager’s current salary is $225,000 a year and will be increased to $240,000. The West Sacramento City Council based this increase on what they feel is “his superior performance across the full breadth of City and Port operations.”

Before he became City Manager, Mr. Tuttle was the Deputy Director of Planning and Modal Programs for Caltrans. He also served as the Executive Director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), as well as the Solano Transportation Authority in the San Francisco area. He held a top staff position with the State Assembly for 13 years. He has worked in land planning, transit-oriented development, and with urban fill housing projects.

How does this salary compare with other cities? With a population of 48,744, West Sacramento is much smaller than cities that pay their City Manager similar or lower salaries. According to information from 2013, Corona, with a population of 159,132, pays their City Manager $249,384. Moreno Valley, with a population of 199,258 pays their City Manager $230,000, and San Bernardino, with a population of 212,712, pays their City manager $221,976 annually.

Riverside, with a population of 314,034, pays their City Manager $295,000 and Rancho Cucamonga, with 172,299 residents, pays their City Manager $256,332. Apparently, annual pay does not correlate to a city’s size. According to information from 2010, Woodland, with a population of 57,000 and also located in Yolo County, paid their City Manager $129,059. That same year, West Sacramento’s former City Manager, Toby Ross, was paid $214,000.

The West Sacramento Assistant City Manager, the Director of Administration Services, the Director of Community Development, the Director of Parks and Recreation, the Director of Public Works, and the Police Chief all have salaries that range from $150,000 to $180,000. West Sacramento City Council Members, who are elected by the voters of West Sacramento, earn just $300 per month for their service. This is the same monthly stipend they earned in 1987. They are eligible to use a City-issued cell phone with internet, but must return the phone at the end of their term. They are offered medical plans and are eligible for CalPERS.

Here is how the State of California Executive salaries compare: The Governor of California, Jerry Brown, is paid $173,987, and both the Lt. Governor, Gavin Newsom, and the Secretary of State receive $130,490 annually. Attorney General Kamala D. Harris receives $151,127 and Treasurer John Chaing is paid $139,189 annually. The California Chief Justice receives $232,060 and the Associate Justices receive $221,292.

Is a City Manager worth more than our elected State officials? The West Sacramento City Council must feel that their City Manager is worth what they pay him, otherwise they would not have raised his salary again. And, the West Sacramento City Council has not requested a change to their own monthly stipend.

The proposed City Charter will keep the City Manager in his position of CEO of West Sacramento, where he will continue to provide leadership and direction for the operation and management of all West Sacramento City departments. He will also be responsible for the enforcement of all laws and ordinances while coordinating all City programs and services. He will make recommendations to the Mayor and Council, which concern the operation, annual budget and future needs of West Sacramento. This is something that the West Sacramento City Council prefers, and they have indicated that they favor the strong City Manager form of government. They must; they are paying for it.

Sources: City/Town Manager Compensation Survey October 2010, 2010 State Executive Salaries for CA, City of West Sacramento 2015/2016 Classification Plan, City of West Sacramento Benefits Summary July 2015, West Sacramento City Council Meeting Oct. 7^th, 2015, Fidel Martinez.