Councilman Carl DeMaio has released an analysis showing that nearly 12 percent of city employees now earn six-figure salaries.
DeMaio has been requesting the information since 2003 and the number of employees earning $100,000 or more has increased every year except 2006. Last year, according to DeMaio’s figures, 874 employees earned six-figure salaries. The percentage of city employees earning six figures has also increased in every year except 2006.
Many of the employees on DeMaio’s list had their pay boosted significantly by overtime earnings.
“This is the most powerful data to underscore the point that the budget crisis is caused by the inability of the city to control its labor costs,” DeMaio said.
The new councilman, whose previous studies had been done from the outside looking in, has proposed balancing the budget by scaling back benefits and instituting wage freezes and furloughs.
You can see DeMaio’s report here, along with lists of the top city wage earners in 2008 and 2007. The lists contain job titles and salaries but no names.