Despite fiscal difficulties that just prompted a voter-approved sales tax increase, Redwood’s City Council has voted to boost salaries for some of its top officials.
City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz received a 5.86% increase, bringing her annual salary to $295,006. City Attorney Veronica Ramirez received a 5% boost. In addition to an annual salary of $251,606, she’s receiving a one-time bonus of $11,981 for her “exceptional performance” as city attorney. Both women received a pay raise last year.
Council Members Diane Howard and Shelly Masur were absent from the vote. The remaining council members supported the pay raises.
Salary increases are based on a number of considerations including performance, comparable salaries in nearby cities, and the city’s financial status, according to staff.
The Climate Online explains how the latest raises compare to other jurisdictions:
In terms of salary comparisons to other city managers in California, Diaz’s total compensation in 2017, including base pay and benefits, ranked 43rd on a list of 571 California jurisdictions, and third highest among San Mateo County cities. Diaz’s compensation was less, and in some cases substantially less, than managers of 17 California cities that are comparable in population or have fewer citizens than Redwood City (population 86,380). They include Palo Alto (69,721), where the city manager made $327,692 in total compensation and South San Francisco (67,082, $333,018).
A table of 2017 total compensation comparisons for city managers in San Mateo County is also provided, courtesy of the State Controller’s Office.