Hefty raises for top Seattle posts? Not a chance

Despite the recession, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wants to be able to give big raises to the city's highest-paid employees — one by as much as 37 percent.

He says he has to make sure the city's top executives earn enough that they don't leave for other jobs.

"In both good and bad economic times, taxpayers expect city government to be well run," said Karin Zaugg Black, a spokeswoman for the mayor. "Part of having a well-run city government is attracting and retaining top-quality directors."

A City Council committee declined even to consider Nickels' proposal, the third year in a row the council has said no to similar salary-increase requests. On Wednesday, the council committee did vote for annual adjustments to pay scales for some city employees, most of which were a few dollars an hour. The full council will consider the changes next week.

Council members said the city shouldn't give top employees more than the 4.5 percent increase most city staff can expect in 2009.

"Bad timing," said Nick Licata, chairman of the council's Culture, Civil Rights, Health and Personnel Committee. "There's no need to give increases to the people at the top of the pay range when people at the bottom are worried about even keeping their jobs or losing their homes."

Nickels wants the council to approve a higher pay ceiling for Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, who makes $188,315, and two other employees: Seattle Public Utilities Director Chuck Clarke, who makes $187,314, and City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco, who makes $225,000.

Top employees' salaries are determined by the mayor, but the council sets a range within which the salaries must fall. The mayor wants to increase the maximum those employees can make to $232,213 annually for Kerlikowske and Clarke, and $308,888 for Carrasco.

In 2006 and 2007, the mayor unsuccessfully sought a maximum salary of $214,000 for some top employees.

The University of Washington just hired a police chief who makes about $160,000 overseeing a force of 56 officers, the mayor's office pointed out in a memo to the council. Kerlikowske makes just $28,000 more and oversees 1,400 officers.

"I don't begrudge anybody any kind of a raise," said Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild. "If the market can handle it and cities are paying more for top executives, then Seattle has to stay competitive."

The mayor's office pointed to a consultant's study that showed the three positions were underpaid by 18 to 30 percent compared with similar jobs in other cities. But the council said the economy has changed considerably since the March study.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246

Clarification: Information in this article, originally published December 11, was clarified December 11. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels asked the City Council to give him the ability to give big raises to top employees. The story gave the impression that he proposed giving some employees raises.