Elk Grove City Manager Laura Gill Among Highest Paid Public Employees in Sacramento Region

December 13, 2015 |

If the Elk Grove City Council is to be measured on how many high-paying executive jobs they can bring to the city, they have scored at least five successes - the employment of City Manager Laura Gill and at least four other high paid public officials.  

As the city's highest paid employee, City Manager Laura 

Gill has eschewed residing in Elk Grove and Sacramento

County in favor of executive housing in a neighboring county.   

According to information compiled by California State Controller Betty Yee and reported by the Sacramento Bee's Public Eye beat reporter, Gill was the 20th highest paid public sector employee in the Sacramento region in 2014. The report showed Gill made a base salary of $264,984, or about $127 an hour based on her 40-hour work week. 

Other top paid city employees for 2014 include Police Chief Robert Lehner, $198,112; former assistant city manager Becky Craig, $195,213; Public Works Director Richard Shepard, $176,020; and Police Dept. Captain Bryan Noblett, $160,666.

On a total pay and other compensation basis, Gill was first among city employees with $333,075; Lehner, $284,047; Noblett, $256,935; Police Dept. Captain Wayne Kitade, $249,166; and Craig, $245,373.

Also making the top four in the Sacramento region was former Elk Grove City Council Member and current California Assembly Member Jim Cooper (D - Elk Grove) who earned $314,593. Cooper, who retired as a Captain in the Sacramento Sheriff's Department in 2014 upon his election to the Assembly, had a base pay of $111,335 with the balance coming from other compensation upon his retirement.   

A complete list of statewide public sector salaries can be viewed here.