Highest Paid City Officials
In this piece we take a look at some of the top wage earners employed by the City of Jacksonville.
In 2012 the City of Jacksonville directly employed 2,246 people with a total salary expenditure, not including benefits, of $96,032,388.44.
The list below is neither a criticism nor is it an approval of the wages earned by the top brass at the City. It's just the numbers, as they are. It represents the highest wage earners employed by the city in 2012.
Verlander standing with Mayor Brown
5. Christopher Alan Jr (Alan) Verlander
Economic Development Council
Sports and Entertainment Director
$179,415.60
Verlander was recruited from Jacksonville University, where he was Director of Athletics. He's the first to fill the position Sports and Entertainment Director. A position created by Mayor Alvin Brown. Read Verlander's full bio here.
4. Valerie Josephine Rao
Medical Examiner's Office
District Chief Medical Examiner
$190,172.64
The Jacksonville's Medical Examiner's office is an intra-governmental department under the authority of the state of Florida but mostly funded by the county (Fl. Statute 406.06). There are 24 districts in the state of Florida.
Rao, like most in higher positions of government, is not unscathed by complaints. MetroJacksonville.com's news partner produced a segment about the issues surrounding Rao. Watch it here.
(No Image Available)
3. Jesse C Giles
Medical Examiner's Office
Associate Medical Examiner
$190,172.64
Laquidara standing next to Mayor Alvin Brown at a press conference announcing her reappointment with the city.
Cindy A Laquidara
Office of General Counsel
General Counsel
$200,419.80
Laquidara has been with the City since 1998 and was appointed as General Counsel in 2010. Prior to that position she was Chief Deputy General Counsel. Laquidara had submitted her letter of resignation to the mayor upon his election. The mayor declined and kept her on as General Counsel.
There is a bit of governmental/political controversy surrounding Laquidara. Some on the City Council think that Laquidara is beholden to the Mayor's office and not treating the rest of the city's departments as her client. Although, this might have less to do with with Lauidara and more to do with the unfortunate netherworld her position exists in. The Mayor selects the person he/she wants as General Counsel and the City Council has to approve the Mayor's selection. However, the Mayor can fire the General Counsel without approval from the City Council. It leaves this position with one boss and it's not the rest of the city's departments.
Bowling standing next to Governor Rick Scott. They co-founded Solantic.
Karen Elizabeth Bowling
Executive Office of the Mayor
Chief Administrative Officer
$210,000
Ms. Bowling is the highest paid city official. She was hired by Mayor Alvin Brown in 2011. Prior to her current position she was the co-founder and then CEO of Solantic.
The Mayor has five people as part of his office staff:
Mayor Alvin Brown at $138,473.52
Chief of Staff: Chris Hand at $165,000
Deputy Chief of Staff: Michelle Barth at $83,000
Chief Administrative Officer: Karen Bowling at $210,000
Deputy Chief Administrative Office: Cleveland Ferguson at $135,000
Chief Financial Officer: C. Ronald (Ronnie) Belton at $156,999.96
The salaries in this office total $888,473.48
There is a distinction between the mayor's "office staff" and the "Executive Office of the Mayor". There are 33 people employed by the Mayor's office. which includes the five people listed above.
The Top 20:
1. Bowling, Karen Elizabeth, Chief Administrative Officer,$210,000.00
2. Laquidara, Cindy A, General Council, $200,419.80
3. Rao, Valerie Josephine, District Chief Examiner, $190,172.64
4. Giles, Jesse C, Associate Medical Examiner, $179,556.39
5. Verlander, Christopher Alan Jr (Alan), Sports and Entertainment Director, $179,415.60
6. Sherman, Kirk A, Council Auditor, $176,400.00
7. Maltz, Howard M, Chief Deputy General Counsel $174,999.96
8. Hand, Christopher John (Chris), Chief of Staff, $165,000.00
9. Belton, Clarence Ronald (Ronnie), Director of Finance/CFO, $156,999.96
10. Nicolaescu, Aurelian, Associate Medical Examiner, $151,533.91
11. Robinson, James Monroe Jr (Jim), Director of Public Works, $147,000.00
12. Simons, Stacey Aline, Associate Medical Examiner, $144,999.96
13. Steckbauer, Michael Robert, Associate Medical Examiner, $144,999.96
14. Petrie, Gayle, Senior Assistant General Counsel, $143,442.60
15. Germany, John F Jr, Attorney IV, $142,942.80
16. Wedner, Michael B, Attorney IV, $141,999.96
17. Brown, Cheryl L, Council Secretary/Director, $141,393.42
18. Billy, Janice K, Assistant Council Auditor, $140,963.24
19. Brown, Alvin, Mayor, $138,473.52
20. Gubbin, Barbara A, Library Director, $136,144.34
Related Articles:
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The list below is neither a criticism nor is it an approval of the wages earned by the top brass at the City. It's just the numbers, as they are. It represents the highest wage earners employed by the city in 2012.
Verlander standing with Mayor Brown
5. Christopher Alan Jr (Alan) Verlander
Economic Development Council
Sports and Entertainment Director
$179,415.60
Verlander was recruited from Jacksonville University, where he was Director of Athletics. He's the first to fill the position Sports and Entertainment Director. A position created by Mayor Alvin Brown. Read Verlander's full bio here.
4. Valerie Josephine Rao
Medical Examiner's Office
District Chief Medical Examiner
$190,172.64
The Jacksonville's Medical Examiner's office is an intra-governmental department under the authority of the state of Florida but mostly funded by the county (Fl. Statute 406.06). There are 24 districts in the state of Florida.
Rao, like most in higher positions of government, is not unscathed by complaints. MetroJacksonville.com's news partner produced a segment about the issues surrounding Rao. Watch it here.
(No Image Available)
3. Jesse C Giles
Medical Examiner's Office
Associate Medical Examiner
$190,172.64
Laquidara standing next to Mayor Alvin Brown at a press conference announcing her reappointment with the city.
Cindy A Laquidara
Office of General Counsel
General Counsel
$200,419.80
Laquidara has been with the City since 1998 and was appointed as General Counsel in 2010. Prior to that position she was Chief Deputy General Counsel. Laquidara had submitted her letter of resignation to the mayor upon his election. The mayor declined and kept her on as General Counsel.
There is a bit of governmental/political controversy surrounding Laquidara. Some on the City Council think that Laquidara is beholden to the Mayor's office and not treating the rest of the city's departments as her client. Although, this might have less to do with with Lauidara and more to do with the unfortunate netherworld her position exists in. The Mayor selects the person he/she wants as General Counsel and the City Council has to approve the Mayor's selection. However, the Mayor can fire the General Counsel without approval from the City Council. It leaves this position with one boss and it's not the rest of the city's departments.
Bowling standing next to Governor Rick Scott. They co-founded Solantic.
Karen Elizabeth Bowling
Executive Office of the Mayor
Chief Administrative Officer
$210,000
Ms. Bowling is the highest paid city official. She was hired by Mayor Alvin Brown in 2011. Prior to her current position she was the co-founder and then CEO of Solantic.
The Mayor has five people as part of his office staff:
Mayor Alvin Brown at $138,473.52
Chief of Staff: Chris Hand at $165,000
Deputy Chief of Staff: Michelle Barth at $83,000
Chief Administrative Officer: Karen Bowling at $210,000
Deputy Chief Administrative Office: Cleveland Ferguson at $135,000
Chief Financial Officer: C. Ronald (Ronnie) Belton at $156,999.96
The salaries in this office total $888,473.48
There is a distinction between the mayor's "office staff" and the "Executive Office of the Mayor". There are 33 people employed by the Mayor's office. which includes the five people listed above.
The Top 20:
1. Bowling, Karen Elizabeth, Chief Administrative Officer,$210,000.00
2. Laquidara, Cindy A, General Council, $200,419.80
3. Rao, Valerie Josephine, District Chief Examiner, $190,172.64
4. Giles, Jesse C, Associate Medical Examiner, $179,556.39
5. Verlander, Christopher Alan Jr (Alan), Sports and Entertainment Director, $179,415.60
6. Sherman, Kirk A, Council Auditor, $176,400.00
7. Maltz, Howard M, Chief Deputy General Counsel $174,999.96
8. Hand, Christopher John (Chris), Chief of Staff, $165,000.00
9. Belton, Clarence Ronald (Ronnie), Director of Finance/CFO, $156,999.96
10. Nicolaescu, Aurelian, Associate Medical Examiner, $151,533.91
11. Robinson, James Monroe Jr (Jim), Director of Public Works, $147,000.00
12. Simons, Stacey Aline, Associate Medical Examiner, $144,999.96
13. Steckbauer, Michael Robert, Associate Medical Examiner, $144,999.96
14. Petrie, Gayle, Senior Assistant General Counsel, $143,442.60
15. Germany, John F Jr, Attorney IV, $142,942.80
16. Wedner, Michael B, Attorney IV, $141,999.96
17. Brown, Cheryl L, Council Secretary/Director, $141,393.42
18. Billy, Janice K, Assistant Council Auditor, $140,963.24
19. Brown, Alvin, Mayor, $138,473.52
20. Gubbin, Barbara A, Library Director, $136,144.34
Related Articles:
Fortune 500: Florida's Largest Companies in 2013
Building Better Budgets Through Smart Growth
Infrastructure for the sake of jobs?