FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Matt Bevin said Thursday that taxpayers are getting "a steal" by paying the state's new Chief Information Officer Charles Grindle $375,000 per year.

The governor said Grindle's expertise is unmatched by his counterparts in any state, and that the retired Army colonel would command a salary of more than $1 million in the private sector.

"I would defy any of you to find anybody in America, in any capacity in government IT (information technology), that knows as much as this guy does," Bevin told reporters at an impromptu news conference following a bill signing ceremony at the Capitol.

Last week the Courier Journal reported that Bevin had given Grindle, who was hired last fall at $160,000, a $215,000 raise, effective Aug. 1. That makes Grindle the highest paid Bevin administration official, at more than double the governor's own salary.

Related:How Gov. Bevin gave one employee a $215K raise: What you should know

Looking deeper:Why do some Kentucky officials make more than Bevin despite law?

Grindle's salary is, by far, the most for a chief information systems official in all 50 states, according to a survey by the Council of State Governments last year. Grindle's salary is at least $164,000 more than the pay of the highest-paid state CIO in that survey.

Several Democratic state legislators have said they recognize the state's top technology official will command a heavy salary but a $215,000 raise cannot be justified for a job in public service at a time when most state employees are getting no raise.

After a week of silence on the issue, the governor on Thursday told reporters Grindle has already instituted reforms that have saved taxpayers millions.

Bevin said for years Kentucky government has wasted millions of dollars on antiquated technology because it did not invest in the best talent.

Search through the Courier Journal's salary database here

"The idea that we would shortchange the people of Kentucky by getting the cheapest person we can... is hard for me to fathom,'' Bevin said. "There's a time and a place to try to get a good deal on things. This isn't a pair of sneakers."

Bevin noted that Grindle holds two masters degrees and a doctorate in information systems, has been a CIO, operated his own business, "taught cyber security and networking to generals at the Army War College," and is a "guy who ran, during the Gulf War, the entire 3rd Army network."

That resume commands bigger pay, Bevin said.

"What we're paying Dr. Grindle is really about a third of what he could make in the private sector," Bevin said. "The average compensation for the CIO of a Fortune 500 company is well over a million dollars."

The state did not conduct a search for a new CIO prior to when Grindle was hired last year.

Also:Matt Bevin calls Rick Pitino an 'angry, bitter person' who blames others

More news:Rick Pitino: Matt Bevin has grudge against University of Louisville

"There's not a person I could find in any kind of search who could begin to hold a candle" to the qualifications of Grindle, Bevin said.

Bevin said he he has known Grindle "for some time" and became aware of his availability "a couple years ago when he was at the War College."

Bevin said, "When I heard that he was going to be retiring I made sure I contacted him and let him know that this is something that I would hope he would consider."

Grindle's predecessor, James Fowler, was making $139,244 when he left the job in December 2015, according to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet. The job was filled by an acting CIO for 22 months until Grindle was hired last October.

Tom Loftus: tloftus@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @TomLoftus_CJ. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/toml.