El Paso Mayor Weighs In On City Exec’s Raises

A couple of El Paso city executives are due to get a hefty pay raise. It's in their contract and they've apparently earned the raises. But is now the time to be accepting such a raise? El Paso Mayor Dee Margo has weighed in on the situation tweeting out:

Upon completion of evaluations for the City Manager and City Attorney, I formally advised that now is not the time to accept a pay increase.

The City Manager is Tommy Gonalez. He's making $361,000 a year and is due to get a 5% pay raise. That raise would come out to just over $18,000. And in case you're wondering, Gonzalez is already making than others in the same position in much larger cities like Dallas and Phoenix.Yeah, let that sink in.

The City Attorney is Karla Nieman. She's making $256,000 and is due for a 2% pay bump. Her raise is to the tune of $5,100.

Mayor Margo added in a tweet:

We are in the midst of a pandemic with a significant impact on our economy. I am mindful of the budget shortfall and the many employees who have been furloughed. Although contractually eligible for a raise, acceptance lies with the City Manager and City Attorney.

As of the writing of this, the only word from Gonzalez on the pay raises was a mention of donating the pay raise to charity, and Nieman had yet to comment on the situation. Mayor Margo has reiterated that these raises have been earned based on merit and job performance.