800k Salary For California City Manager; 100k For Part Time Employees

Jillian Bandes | July 15, 2010 9:05 AM

Bell is one of the poorest cities in Los Angeles County, and it pays its city manager about $800,000. The city manager was defensive about it when speaking to the Los Angeles Times:

"If that's a number people choke on, maybe I'm in the wrong business," he said. "I could go into private business and make that money. This council has compensated me for the job I've done."

His salary is double what city managers make in surrounding areas, as is the $457,000 salary that Bell city pays it chief of police. City Council members make about $100,000 per year, when city council members normally make about $5000 a year, according to the Los Angeles Times. For that city council compensation, the district attorney's office has launched an investigation — but hasn't included the other salaries as part of their inquiry.