State report reveals salaries of local and county leaders
A report released Tuesday by the California State Controller's Office revealed the salaries of leaders across Riverside County including the Coachella Valley.
The agency published its 2022 "Government Compensation in California" analysis, showing how taxpayer funds were spent in the previous year, and who was receiving what for being on the public payroll.
The individual who received the largest income in county government was Director of Behavioral Health Dr. Matthew Chang, whose composite compensation last year totaled $566,374, the report said.
That amount included base pay and a lump sum disbursal, which wasn't specifically defined on the web portal but could have been banked vacation and sick leave time that wasn't used, but cashed out, according to the controller's office.
The second-highest paid was the chief deputy director of the Sheriff's Department, who was not named. The individual received a base salary of $189,565, but received a lump sum payout of $341,390, according to the report.
Sheriff Chad Bianco's income, in contrast, totaled $298,990. In government speak, when a subordinate makes more than the superior, it's called "compaction." The Board of Supervisors in 2014 hiked executive salaries in an attempt to fix disparities. A similar proposal to raise elected officials' salaries was made by the Department of Human Resources last December, but the board rejected it, saying it was not justified.
Riverside University Health System Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Arnold Tabuenca landed in the No. 3 spot, taking home $507,748 in 2022, the report said.
A senior psychiatrist in the county Department of Mental Health followed at No. 4 with $506,624 in total compensation, while the assistant director of the Department of Public Social Services was at No. 5 at $503,998.
At No. 6 was the chief of psychiatry in the Department of Mental Health, receiving $493,506. Just behind that person was a senior staff psychiatrist assigned to county correctional facilities, whose annual comp was $491,044.
RUHS CEO Jennifer Cruikshank was at No. 8 among county government's highest paid last year, procuring $460,899. The balance of the top 10 was comprised of two Department of Mental Health staff psychiatrists, whose total compensation ranged from $444,000 to $447,352 in 2022.
Not one elected county official appeared in the top 50 of the controller's list. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen was at No. 37, with total compensation of $362,100, according to the report.
Board members were way down the list for annual compensation packages, making less than many deputy district attorneys, sheriff's sergeants, even the deputy director of transportation, according to figures.
The supervisors' pay ranged from $160,644 to $203,252 in 2022, with Supervisor Kevin Jeffries at the bottom because he has consistently declined pay raises since first taking office in 2013. He's the most senior member of the board and will be retiring from politics at the completion of his current term in 2024.
The controller's website indicated the average pay for a county employee last year was $66,072. County government is the single largest employer in Riverside County, with just over 27,000 positions. Roughly $1.86 billion in total wages were paid in 2022.
Top 10 Highest Wages in each of the Coachella Valley Cities:
(Note: Data for Desert Hot Springs was not on the state list)
The data is available at www.publicpay.ca.gov.
Cathedral City
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| Facilities Manager | Facilities | $370,894 | $41,238 |
| Administrative Services | Administrative Services Admin | $334,569 | $37,053 |
| Fire Battalion Chief | Fire Department | $327,861 | $67,232 |
| Fire Battalion Chief | Fire Department | $315,659 | $26,703 |
| Fire Chief | Fire Department | $307,874 | $58,914 |
| Fire Battalion Chief | Fire Department | $299,649 | $66,812 |
| Police Chief | Police Department | $279,132 | $74,813 |
| Police Commander | Police Department | $268,634 | $72,912 |
| City Manager | Management | $267,564 | $46,974 |
| Fire Captain | Fire Department | $263,917 | $52,701 |
Coachella
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| City Manager | City Administration | $252,937 | $31,444 |
| Finance Director | Finance Department | $219,082 | $25,199 |
| Public Works Director | Public Works Department | $216,402 | $42,306 |
| City Engineer | Engineering Department | $193,199 | $36,214 |
| Development Services Director | Community Development | $177,382 | $28,758 |
| Human Resources Manager | Personnel | $166,793 | $35,351 |
| Utilities Manager | Water Utility - Operations | $158,765 | $7,632 |
| Accounting Manager | Finance Department | $150,750 | $27,174 |
| Assistant To The City Manager | City Administration | $141,666 | $32,348 |
| Grants Manager | City Administration | $135,634 | $28,001 |
Indian Wells:
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| Finance Director | Finance | $284,241 | $70,963 |
| City Manager | City Manager | $278,668 | $86,027 |
| Public Works Director | Public Works | $229,138 | $64,344 |
| Information Technology Manager | City Manager | $214,809 | $60,993 |
| Deputy City Manager | City Manager | $202,887 | $56,171 |
| Community Development Director | Community Development | $194,283 | $41,197 |
| Assistant Finance Director | Finance | $165,818 | $55,462 |
| Building Official & Code Enforcement Mgr. | Community Development | $137,657 | $44,373 |
| City Clerk | City Manager | $135,874 | $47,045 |
| Public Works Field Supervisor | Public Works | $129,652 | $44,913 |
Indio
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| Police Sergeant | Police Field Services | $253,942 | $62,585 |
| City Manager | City Manager's Office | $247,274 | $68,870 |
| Police Sergeant | Police Support Services | $231,501 | $45,903 |
| IPD Police Officer | Police Field Services | $230,372 | $50,875 |
| Police Sergeant | Police Investigations | $228,245 | $51,995 |
| Police Sergeant | Police Traffic Safety | $215,354 | $57,117 |
| Chief Of Police | Police Administration | $211,604 | $42,525 |
| Director Of Public Works | Public Works Administration & Engineering | $210,088 | $29,138 |
| Police Sergeant | Police Field Services | $205,312 | $57,163 |
La Quinta:
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| City Manager | City Manager | $247,614 | $33,360 |
| Public Works Director/City Engineer | Public Works/Engineering | $185,956 | $32,341 |
| Design & Development Director | Design & Development | $178,412 | $36,345 |
| City Clerk Director | City Clerk | $171,865 | $40,081 |
| Director | City Manager | $168,302 | $29,142 |
| Community Resources Director | Community Resources | $163,429 | $24,499 |
| Finance Director | Finance | $154,340 | $22,154 |
| Community Resources Manager | Community Resources | $141,635 | $26,637 |
| Public Safety Manager | Community Resources | $133,649 | $31,816 |
| Associate Engineer | Public Works/Engineering | $132,972 | $15,096 |
Rancho Mirage:
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| City Manager | City Manager Department | $342,407 | $54,663 |
| Director Of Marketing | Tourism & Marketing Department | $205,712 | $48,014 |
| Library Director | Library Department | $204,914 | $51,339 |
| Director Of Information Services | Information Technology Department | $204,361 | $46,995 |
| Director Of Administrative Services | Administration Department | $197,905 | $46,995 |
| Director Of Public Works | Engineering Department | $194,450 | $51,339 |
| Director Of Development Services | Planning Department | $184,972 | $35,832 |
| City Engineer | Engineering Department | $164,594 | $43,504 |
| Director Of Development Services | Planning Department | $162,016 | $27,888 |
| Senior Manager | Finance Department | $141,613 | $37,368 |
Palm Desert:
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| City Manager | City Manager | $288,991 | $76,329 |
| Director Of Finance/City Treas | Finance | $229,681 | $13,233 |
| Deputy Director Of Finance | Finance | $209,524 | $42,857 |
| Chief Invent And Prcrmt Offer | Administrative Services | $206,222 | $13,584 |
| Director Of Public Works | City Manager | $201,795 | $54,106 |
| Director Of Finance/City Treas | Finance | $186,181 | $46,180 |
| Director Of Economic Develop | City Manager | $179,439 | $49,266 |
| Information Systems Manager | Data Processing | $170,573 | $50,682 |
| Human Resources Manager | Human Resources | $163,772 | $46,531 |
| Acm/Development Services | City Manager | $155,842 | $35,268 |
Palm Springs
| Position | Department | Total Wages | Total Retirement & Health Contribution |
| Fire Captain | Fire | $313,873 | $123,971 |
| Fire Battalion Chief | Fire | $298,972 | $149,071 |
| Fire Captain | Fire | $280,154 | $125,018 |
| Fire Battalion Chief | Fire | $278,708 | $145,599 |
| Fire Battalion Chief | Fire | $275,732 | $131,030 |
| Fire Captain | Fire | $267,353 | $133,806 |
| Fire Deputy Chief | Fire | $266,301 | $165,624 |
| Police Officer | Police | $263,428 | $102,969 |
| Police Chief | Police | $262,868 | $157,205 |
| Fire Captain | Fire | $259,097 | $112,873 |
