City Employee Pay
San Luis Obispo County
Tribune reporters sought to provide a comprehensive look at how much top city officials earn in San Luis Obispo County. To do so, two reporters filed Public Records Act Requests with the county’s seven cities in early August, requesting salary and benefit information about city managers and department heads.
The data provided to The Tribune included a base salary plus other forms of compensation, including health benefits, retirement contributions, and cell phone and vehicle allowances.
Atascadero's top city employees
Average salary: $124,713 | Average benefits: $47,682 | Average total compensation: $172,395
Who makes what in Atascadero
Click on an employee's name to see a breakdown of their compensation.
| Name | Job title | Base salary | Total benefits | Total compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wade McKinney | City Manager | $157,173 | $81,707 | $238,880 |
| Jim Mulhall | Police Chief | $132,834 | $57,931 | $190,765 |
| Kurt Stone | Fire Chief | $132,833 | $61,887 | $194,720 |
| Jim Lewis | Assistant City Manager | $126,956 | $45,880 | $172,836 |
| Brady Cherry | Community services director | $120,910 | $35,891 | $156,801 |
| Warren Frace | Community Development Director | $120,910 | $42,590 | $163,500 |
| Rachelle Rickard | Administrative Services Director | $120,910 | $42,856 | $163,766 |
| Russell Thompson | Public Works Director | $115,153 | $30,695 | $145,848 |
| Marcia Torgerson | City Clerk | $94,736 | $29,700 | $124,436 |
How Atascadero's city employees compare
This graph shows the total compensation each Atascadero city employee receives. The darker blue is the amount of base salary; the lighter blue is the amount of benefits.
According to employment data from the state Employment Development Department, the average wage of 99,740 people working in the public and private sectors during the first quarter of 2010 – not including benefits –was $43,981.
A look at compensation vs. population
This graph shows how much money, in dollars, each Atascadero employee earns per city resident. Comparing compensation per capita across similar positions shows the disparity in compensation between large and small cities in the county.
The estimated population of Atascadero as of January 1, 2010 was 28,560
A comparison of total compensation vs. the city's general fund
Here's a look at how much of the city's general fund is spent on salary and benefits for a particular employee. In local governments, the general fund budget accounts for most unrestricted spending decisions made by its elected governing body, including salaries.
Atascadero's general fund in 2010 is $16,925,940. Source: City of Atascadero