Days after the Seattle City Council approved an across-the-board $15 minimum wage, a City Council committee approved a measure that would raise the salary of the city’s already highest paid worker by up to $120,000. Seattle City Light Chief Executive Officer Jorge Carrasco currently makes $245,000 a year. Under the new pay scale approved by the City Council committee yesterday, he could make nearly $350,000 per year.
According to the Seattle Times, Mayor Ed Murray requested that Carrasco’s salary increase to $364,000. Murray’s communications director contradicted that number, saying he expects Carrasco to make $305,000 though the “final salary is up to the council and mayor.” In any case, Carrasco’s raise would be applied retroactively beginning January 2014. With a $100,000 raise, Carrasco’s five month back-pay would amount to $40,000—the amount Murray promised to Kathleen O’Toole (Seattle’s incoming police chief) for “moving expenses.”
Good to know the City of Seattle has funded all of its other obligations to the city, and—with all the extra revenue lying around—certainly won’t need to ask voters for any more tax increases – right?
