
Long Beach is the state’s seventh largest city, but Mayor Robert Garcia was the second highest-paid mayor in California in 2016, according to government salary data released on Tuesday by the state Controller’s Office. Photo: Q Voice News staff photo
LONG BEACH — Long Beach is the state’s seventh largest city, but Mayor Robert Garcia was the fourth highest-paid mayor in California in 2016, according to government salary data released on Tuesday by the state Controller’s Office.
Garcia — the city’s first openly gay and first Latino mayor — was paid $143,419, with $39,941 in benefits.
RELATED: Mayor Robert Garcia skipping Trump inauguration
The state’s top-paid mayor was Ed Lee of San Francisco at $297,387, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was the second highest paid at $246,303. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was the third highest paid at $212,000, according to the data.
The Controller’s Office data includes 686,418 positions that generated a total of more than $44 billion in wages in 2016, in 53 counties and 470 cities that submitted their salary information.
The average compensation for municipal employees in California in 2016 was $65,125 in wages, with an additional $19,258 worth of retirement and health benefits.
Correction: This story has been updated. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia was the state’s fourth highest paid mayor in 2016.