Salaries of local government brass top Biden's, Cabinet secretaries'

Montgomery County's top administrator banks a higher salary than the vice president of the United States. Ditto for Fairfax County's executive. And the District's police chief is paid more than the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and speaker of the House.

Dozens of local officials earn better wages than the nation's marquee power players under compensation packages that soar past those for comparable positions statewide, showing that smaller-scale, public-sector jobs don't always come with a pay cut.

The benchmark for managers' salaries has jumped well beyond the six-figure plateau, as some command wages around a quarter-million dollars each year. Those in charge of the behind-the-scenes operation of thousands of municipal workers often enjoy better pay than elected officials. (See table below.)

Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer Timothy Firestine earns more than $266,000 annually, and Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin nets $240,000 -- even with pay freezes. D.C. City Administrator Neil Albert, who also fills an appointed position, makes $225,000.

Yet, that money is pocket change compared with the salaries of school superintendents and higher eduction officials lining the upper echelon of county and state payrolls. Outgoing Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Jerry Weast, for example, earned nearly $500,000 this year, including benefits.

Some analysts say the lucrative salaries are excessive considering the massive shortfalls afflicting jurisdictions throughout the Washington region.?

"It's not as if there is a shortage of talent all around the East Coast for government positions," said Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union. "Eventually, the argument that you have to raise pay to attract good people runs into a brick wall. These salaries are simply ratcheting up expectations."

But defenders say local governments have to overcome the cost-of-living shock that keeps otherwise qualified people from applying for top posts.

"I think the salaries are fair," said Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay, D-Lee. "There is no more expensive place to live than Northern Virginia. It's not only that; we're competing with the federal government. It's the only way to remain competitive."

McKay said the county is having trouble finding someone to fill outgoing Transportation Director Kathy Ichter's post -- she earned more than $156,000 this year.

Even without overtime pay, Fairfax has nearly 800 employees bringing in salaries of more than $100,000 a year.

Still, department heads in Montgomery are paid upward of $40,000 a year more than their counterparts across the Potomac. The average employee costs taxpayers roughly $100,000 annually between compensation and benefits, a recent report from the county's Office of Legislative Oversight found.

And at least 50 county managers and directors are paid more than Gov. Martin O'Malley's $150,000 base salary -- including County Executive Ike Leggett's spokesman Patrick Lacefield, who makes $165,000. Nearly 1,200 employees make more than $100,000 when overtime is included.

"It's not that surprising," Lacefield said of the discrepancy between local and state salaries. "Sometimes the people at the state level don't have as much responsibility as those at the county level."

Critics brushed aside that logic.

"In my opinion, there are many senior managers receiving wages significantly above the market value," said Gino Renne, president of the Montgomery County Municipal and County Government Employees Organization, who contends his members are bearing the burden of excessive administrative salaries. "Trust me, I work with them every day. These are not the brightest people. These are consummate bureaucrats focused merely on maintaining the status quo."

To combat shortfalls, the District and Fairfax and Montgomery counties froze salaries this fiscal year.

The affluent Maryland jurisdiction also furloughed all nonschool employees, and officials say salary reductions are on the table as a way to combat seemingly annual budget shortfalls.

bhughes@washingtonexaminer.com