CARLSBAD — The city manager will receive a one-time $30,000 stipend in addition to his $327,000 salary following an annual performance review and a round of contract negotiations with the City Council.
According to the California State Controller’s office, City Manager Scott Chadwick has the highest annual salary of city managers in San Diego County.
Chadwick hasn’t gotten a raise in his base salary since 2021, but he received a one-time stipend of about $15,000 last year. Not including one-time allowances, his salary has increased by about $32,000, or 11%, since he was hired in 2018.
Some residents said the salary and the stipend are not the best use of taxpayer funds, mainly because the TGIF Concerts in the Parks series and the Carlsbad City Library saw cuts this year.
“(Chadwick) has hired lots of additional generously compensated management employees and unnecessary staff,” resident Diane Bedrosian wrote to the council. “Then he decided to cut out three of the nine TGIF concerts and reduce library hours.”
According to that same data from the State Controller’s office, the median city manager salary in San Diego County is $275,947.50, approximately $75,000 less than Carlsbad’s salary.
City Attorney Cindie McMahon’s salary will go from $280,000 to $290,080, a 3.6% raise, among other benefits.
The change in Chadwick’s contract will cost the city just over $30,000, and the change in McMahon’s will cost about $13,000.
