Here are the top 10 highest-paid city employees in San Luis Obispo last year
Seven fire officials were among the city of San Luis Obispo’s top 10 earners in 2017, due to additional pay that significantly boosted their base salaries.
The reason? A rash of California fires that pulled many San Luis Obispo city firefighters from their local duties to help across the state.
The top spot belonged to a city fire captain who earned $125,091 in overtime pay in addition to regular pay and other compensation, totaling $241,713 in wages.
A statewide government database operated by the State Controller’s Office shows the top five highest paid positions were fire officials — all but one of whom more than doubled their regular salary.
The names of the employees aren’t listed in the database.
However, some are readily known because of their positions. City Attorney Christine Dietrick earned $214,832 (ranking sixth), former City Manager Katie Lichtig was the city’s eighth highest paid at $211,880 (she worked nine months of 2017, however, before departing to a new job in Santa Monica), while a police sergeant ranked ninth at $204,887.
Lichtig was the highest paid employee of the city in 2016, earning $244,948 in wages (with a based salary of about $230,000, including lump sum and “other pay”) according to the database.
Assistant City Manager Derek Johnson replaced her at the city’s helm for the last three months of 2017, earning $186,920 in 2017.
Lichtig left for a new job in Santa Monica. San Luis Obispo’s Human Resources Director Monica Irons said Lichtig’s compensation included a final cash payout of accrued vacation.
Johnson was hired on in October 2017 with a base salary that started at $209,000.
The pay figures don’t include the totals for retirement and health compensation, which were tallied separately.
The city received reimbursements from partnering agencies, including Cal Fire, to pay for the out-of-area work, Johnson said.
“There were a ton of fires taking place,” Johnson said. “We had our firefighters doing all sorts of things to help out, and they were working mutual aid off and on throughout the year. But we did get reimbursements for pay and equipment..”
Overall, the city listed 444 employees in 2017 and total wages were $36,871,319.
The top earning positions in the city of San Luis Obispo for 2017 included the following:
1. Fire Captain: $241,713
Regular Pay: $96,015
Overtime Pay: $125,091
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $20,607
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $44,015*
*Total retirement and health contributions not factored into total wages.
2. Fire Captain: $229,122
Regular Pay: $97,021
Overtime Pay: $111,864
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $20,237
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $44,337
3. Fire Battalion Chief: $227,744
Regular Pay: $131,738
Overtime Pay: $84,202
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $11,804
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $41,571
4. Fire Captain: $217,722
Regular Pay: $100,033
Overtime Pay: $105,922
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $11,767
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $42,952
5. Fire Captain: $215,900
Regular Pay: $99,680
Overtime Pay: $99,818
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $16,402
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $36,068
6. City Attorney: $214,832
Regular Pay: $187,584
Overtime Pay: $0
Lump-Sum Pay:$16,988
Other Pay: $10,260
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $65,259
7. Fire Captain $213,808
Regular Pay: $97,711
Overtime Pay: $108,014
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $8,083
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $41,586
8. City Manager: $211,978
Regular Pay: $171,450
Overtime Pay: $0
Lump-Sum Pay: $26,724
Other Pay: $13,804
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $58,991
9. Police Sergeant: $204,887
Regular Pay: $119,978
Overtime Pay: $76,918
Lump-Sum Pay: $4,859
Other Pay: $3,132
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $35,397
10. Fire Captain: $200,864
Regular Pay: $94,235
Overtime Pay: $83,951
Lump-Sum Pay: $0
Other Pay: $22,678
Total Retirement and Health Contribution: $44,020