The $501,457 that City Manager Deanna Santana made in 2019 tops that of her counterparts in much larger municipalities.

Public safety and the recruitment and retention of San Jose police officers dominated discussions during the campaign season. So, what's the right salary for a job in which men and women could very well have risk their life every day they put on a uniform? It's not supposed to be an easy question.

City manager Debra Figone made the correct decision in turning down a raise. What was astounding was that it was ever offered in the first place. Her current compensation is a whopping $227,975 a year. Just the offer of this raise is cause for voters to become irate. It reduces the credibility of public service and confirms taxpayers belief their money is being wasted.

San Jose released its annual list of city salaries late last week, reminding us once again where the bulk of the municipal budget goes. Like most municipalities, payroll accounts for the city’s single highest expense. San Jose shelled out $596 million, or 62 percent of this fiscal year’s budget, on payroll for its 5,500 employees. This year, retired Sgt. John M. Seaman topped the list, receiving total compensation in the amount of $308,345.

Recently, a SJI columnist who also is a city councilmember suggested that libraries should be staffed with volunteers to avoid closure and increase hours of operation. I applaud this outside the box type of thinking, but why stop at libraries?

If you have an attorney in Silicon Valley, you’re probably paying more per minute than anywhere else in the country. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for 2009,