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Outsized pay for public-sector manager E-mail
Written by Michael D. Foster / For the Tracy Press /   
Tuesday, 25 March 2008

A letter writer suggests the city might be too generous with taxpayer money.


EDITOR,

The compensation package to run the city of Tracy as its city manager is $199,000 and 4½ weeks of paid leave a year. Our new city manager is leaving a job that pays far less, but Tracy is adding $18,000 for a housing allowance.

Am I the only one seeing that the public sector’s wages and fringe benefits are readily outpacing those of the private sector?

Did I not just read that 51 people applied for the job? Was he the most qualified, or just cheapest?

I do not begrudge someone prospering in life, but remember that some of us work for companies that must show a profit, compete for business and pay taxes for government employees’ wages. My boss would most likely give his workers whatever they wanted, too, if someone else had to foot the bill.

— Michael D. Foster, Tracy

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Comments (20)add
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written by d , March 26, 2008
The elected council treats us like a piggy bank. It is not their money. Spending and payroll for all of the department heads at the city level are also overpaid. What a WASTE!

Tax dollars are wasted on payroll for these people!
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written by d , March 26, 2008
Th worst public service is at the city hall. Results and accountablity is not the way they do business.
Get a job and sit on your ass for 10-30yrs!
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written by maybenotdumBcommenT , March 26, 2008
d, who's sitting on their arse for 10-30 years exactly. Everyone in general or someone specific?
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written by d , March 26, 2008
Those on the public dole!
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written by maybenotdumBcommenT , March 27, 2008
I don't think they are sitting their doing nothing. The place seems pretty busy whenever I'm there. After all there is a city to run. Why you say they are doing nothing and hanging out and getting paid for doing nothing is for what purpose? The manager looks to be getting paid comparable to cities around us.
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written by Paycheck Police? , March 27, 2008
*
People have various levels of support for "bob blinker" and "d".

I think they eat too many grapefruits for breakfast.


Sour grapes are they???...


No on Gerrymander!

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written by Bill Dole , March 27, 2008
d,

"Those on the public dole!"

Go back to England!

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written by d , March 27, 2008
You both must be an employee for the city of Tracy. Self preservation is the name of the game with you two!
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written by RichSimmons , March 27, 2008
Actually this is Good news!

... and bob blinker was ranting that there are "inadequate jobs" in Tracy...


Opportunity knocks! Otherwise, why would anyone leave a private sector job that pays more money than than government jobs? Do city employees get stock options? No they do not! And the city manager is from an area of the country where people make a LOT less than Californians do. This is a City Manager position, people. Not a City Clerk position!?!?!

The real problem with Tracy is there are too many old-school here. They lost their equity. They don't make much money. They are on a fixed income. And they RANT. And they don't care much for the Silicon Valley being next door either. They don't like the traffic. They don't like the noise. They don't like the neighbors. And they don't like it when someone makes more than they do.

By the old-school Tracyite's logic, they would have the city pay people to do exactly, nothing. Paying people nothing yeilds the same. Garbage in garbage out. Which may be what they want??? But, good managers can make more money elsewhere in California "private sector" jobs. Can "Tracy-old-school thinking" do the same? Based on the lack of critical thoughts here, I doubt it. Time to grow up. Or step aside.

Think about your blanket statements people. Tracy is changing. The "old-schoolers" are being outnumbered with newer younger people. And the next generation will get the job done, like it or not. Jobs are being created in Tracy. Growth is sufficient in Tracy for some substantial changes.

So, if you can't apply...

Just move over, and let someone else do the job!

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written by Paycheck Police? , March 27, 2008
d,

Actually, I was thinking that you may be on the city payroll. It's not self preservation but more like, upset that someone is gettin less. Sorry to hear that. Good luck on your next interview! smilies/cry.gif
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written by d , March 27, 2008
Wrong again!

In the world of Business and the private sector, you have to work for your buck.

Public agencys feeds off of us and we get very little for ou tax dollar, unlimited budget and spending is the norm for Tracy! High quality customer service? Top heavy payroll.
Waste, Accountablity, lack of Disclosure, Deceptive Business Practice. City Hall has it All!


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written by Gary Blanch , March 27, 2008
You forgot to mention they also have retirees on a small, fixed pension plan. I would be concerned too, that my pension was so low and my mortgage was so high.
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written by Gary Blanch , March 27, 2008
and my home was worth squat...
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written by Union Worker , March 27, 2008
Private sector's where it's at!!

We got H. R.!

We got Enron!

We got Labor!

We got Union!

We got India!

We got Chevy!

We got China!

We got squat?

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written by Union Worker , March 27, 2008

You got Nixon???

smilies/tongue.gif
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written by amy , March 27, 2008
If I got a job that would give me a $8,000 raise without propationary period of 90 days I would take it! Plus those perks. Not a wise decision, just my opinion.

Hope he will show us he is worth it and has alot of expertise to prove it. I expect to see revenue growth, jobs and saving the homes by seeing to it that there would be new jobs for families who wish to reside here.

Hope he will have the vision to help with the sportspark with or without adjoining wetlands with agricultural "living museum" as Dave Hardesty proposed in his earlier article.

I hope he has the experience to see these things through for the benefit of Tracyites!

Vote wisely, he will have to work with people of our choice.

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written by maybenotdumBcommenT , March 27, 2008
No d, I am not a city employee. I checked Lodi and their city manager gets paid comparable to what ours is getting. It's like RichSimmons said, "old school". Get with the program d. He will be running a city. I didn't like the previous guy at all. We will get to know this new guy, see if he will get out there and get the jobs done.
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written by d , March 27, 2008
Public Sector Payroll is out of line VS Private, I agree with
Michael and his stand this issue. The package that was given is very generous and almost 100k more than his last job.

If this view is old school so be it!

City Hall has never been run by the city manager anyway, that will not change. Malik, Ives and underlings run the city.
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written by amy , March 27, 2008
I don't ever want to see this $8,000 with name on it:
"Oath of silence!"
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written by maybenotdumBcommenT , March 29, 2008
Malik, runs the city, thats funny, I don't think so.
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