Lovely Warren's team bigger, but pay is less

Members of Mayor-elect Lovely Warren's incoming administration will be more in number but generally paid less than the current City Hall team — except for Warren.

Warren will receive a salary of $140,861, making her the highest-paid big city mayor in upstate New York.

The mayor's salary is set by City Charter and was affirmed by City Council this week, frozen at the same level as last year but still more than Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's $115,000 salary or Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's $105,000. Albany Mayor-elect Kathy Sheehan stands to make $135,400, according to the Empire Center and city records.

Past practice has been that Rochester's incoming mayor accept the established salary and then decline raises. Thus, Mayor Thomas Richards was paid $133,814 to former-Mayor Robert Duffy's $127,694, and now Warren more than Richards.

There likely should be a discussion about salary levels, City Council member and Finance Committee chairwoman Carolee Conklin said. "But I don't think it should be tied into a new mayor coming in, because then it appears to be punitive."

Warren, in an emailed statement, said the mayoral salary is not under the mayor's control but that she would "follow the practice set by the past two incoming mayors ... and will hold at the current rate for the next year." Asked for clarification, Warren said through a spokeswoman that she did not want to speculate about the future. It's worth noting that while they declined raises, Richards left Rochester Gas and Electric with a $10 million payout, mostly in stock and stock options, while Duffy also received his $70,255 police pension.

The issue of compensation played out in Warren's very public but failed attempt to recruit DeKalb County, Ga., Police Chief Cedric Alexander back to Rochester. Alexander previously served as Rochester's interim police chief. He received a promotion and $8,000 raise to stay in Georgia.

Alexander's new $170,000 salary is beyond the maximum $129,116 she could offer, under the city budget. But salary has not otherwise been an issue in recruitment, said Chris Thomas, spokesman for the Warren transition team. Rather, he said, it has been people not wanting to uproot their families and children to move into the city, as required for senior city management, or that they simply liked their present job.

When it comes to her senior staff, Warren has re-established the chief of staff and special projects director positions, which had been eliminated by Duffy and Richards, respectively.

Her new appointees will come in two or more steps below their predecessors. Each city position is assigned to a salary bracket, with a schedule of step increases from lowest to highest. Incoming Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development Delmonize Smith will be paid $121,625, for example, where retiring Commissioner Carlos Carballada received a $126,911 salary. However, newly appointed Planning and Zoning Director Mitch Rowe will be paid $88,565, while departing director Marcia Barry's salary stood at $104,996.

"Rarely do employers start employees at the top of pay ranges because, one, they are as yet unproven," Thomas said. "They prove to be effective in their position, that is when they deserve to be bumped up. The other reason is you want to keep people motivated."

Back in 2006, Duffy was criticized for bringing all his appointees in at the top of the pay bracket. He said at the time that he did not view his appointees as new hires as they were former CEOs, presidents and directors. Warren's appointees have included directors, presidents, business owners and internal promotions.

"Philosophically, I do not think it's a good idea to bring people in at the top," said Conklin, who was among those critical of Duffy in 2006. "It doesn't give you any progression. It doesn't give you any reward for good service. ... (And) if you have never worked for government, there is a learning curve."

It is not uncommon for incoming mayors to adjust their senior staff, adding and taking away positions. Duffy moved human resources and information technology from bureau heads to cabinet-level posts, and created a new Office of Public Integrity with a cabinet-level director.

"We were able to save a few dollars here and there, and still get terrific talent and pay them fairly," Thomas said. "It didn't stop us from reaching out."

The wages of city elected officials are set or adjusted according to inflation. Council members also can decline raises, which Conklin, Jackie Ortiz, Matt Haag and acting President Dana Miller did so this year. Warren did not and, as president, left office with a salary of $43,800.

BDSHARP@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/sharproc

The Warren team

A breakdown of Mayor-elect Lovely Warren's incoming team, by job title and salaries (what the job holder was paid under Mayor Thomas Richards is in parenthesis).

Lovely Warren, mayor, $140,861

Len Redon, deputy mayor $131,300 (same)

Jeremy Cooney, chief of staff, $119,066 (new position)

T. Andrew Brown, corporation counsel, $121,625 ($126,911)

Delmonize Smith, neighborhood and business development commissioner, $121,625 ($126,911)

Norman Jones, environmental commissioner, $121,625 ($126,911)

Marisol Lopez, recreation and youth services commissioner, $121,625 ($126,911)

Christine Christopher, communications director, $121,625 ($126,911)

Lisa Bobo, chief information officer, $126,911 (same)

Allen Williams, special projects director, $121,625 (new position)

C. Mitchell Rowe, planning and zoning director, $88,565 ($104,996)

Spencer Ash, development services director, $109,325 ($113,836)