Well I’m ecstatic to read that these directors will be paid so much. We’ve had a rueful lack of 6 figure salaries here in PA and it’s been in my prayers for years now. As a local shopper and crow mommy, hopefully these big city wages will finally trickle down to our least fortunate like the displaced, the minimum wagers & the startup janitor underclass. PAFA (Palo alto for all).

Ananda, Meg

Really?

The average tech worker makes $122k

Tech workers:
* Average tech income: $122,242 (source: Web Link)
Web Link
"Silicon Valley's typical tech worker makes $122K per year — how salaries at giants like Google, Facebook, Cisco, Intel, Oracle, Salesforce and Netflix compare"

These city jobs pay over $200k. Really?

These positions pay extremely well...and the benefits are bankrupting the city...and us. Unfunded pension liability of $900 million, according to Eric Filseth's study.

The first two comments have it half right, imho. These are huge roles with huge consequences for Palo Altoans, and we need A+ talent and incentives to recruit competitively.

The problem here, and around City Hall more generally, is the lack of any meaningful Performance Management to move out folks who prove to NOT be worth their salary.
Please please Mr. Shikada, set a new standard for performance excellence, starting with leadership roles and cascading it on down.

Just my opinion...but I have attended almost all Finance Committee meetings for the past 18 months. In doing so I have been able to observe Ms. Nose and finance staff very closely. We all are fortunate to have her and her team.

The salaries are market driven. 2019 is not the time to be pennywise and pound foolish. The impact of vacancies and staff turnover are far more costly.

Well at least they are finally starting to establish a culture that hires from within rather than hire expensive executive search teams to scour the countryside to hire away from other cities. This usually seems to cost twice as much and the people either don't stay long or can't afford to move here.

I'd love to see a culture that hires young and trains to our standards and promotes from within. Along with the above stated goal from Sally to review and award compensation connected to achievement and ability not just the usual pass out raises every year per union contracts.

This is the kind of culture and leadership that I would like to see from out city manager.

Typical Palo Alto resident whining about "exorbitant" salaries. The same folks who believe teachers are overpaid. This is an expensive area to live in if you haven't grandfathered in years ago. Happy to see promotion of capable staff from within. These are all positions of high responsibility.

With those salaries, it’s no wonder the City had to look internally. And I mean that since they are way too low—at least for the director of the Utility. Utility heads get paid much more elsewhere. Dean Batchelor is an operations expert and has little understanding of policy matters that the head of the Utility should have. Not that Ed Shikada had an appreciation of those things either. Sad....

When they get ready to recruit for a new Transportation Chief, I hope they ask "How good are you at reconstructing Ross Road to be what it used to be"?

Senior Blogger's onto something. Maybe the new transportation chief can get a deal trading in all the bollards around town that are doing more harm than good. I

t's amusing to drive see all the scarred and scraped paint on them to get a good idea of how useful they are. Also check the tire marks on those silly bulb0outs.

What a waste of money!