The 10 highest paid officials in Riverside County government last year were working in public safety and public health, according to a report released by the California State Controller’s Office and is available online at www.publicpay.ca.gov.
The agency published its 2023 “Government Compensation in California” analysis, showing how taxpayer funds were spent in the previous year, and who was receiving what for being on the public payroll.
The individual who received the largest income in county government was Sheriff Chad Bianco, whose composite compensation last year totaled $593,518, the report said.
That amount included base pay and a lump sum disbursal, totaling $286,529, which wasn’t specifically defined on the web portal but could have been banked vacation and sick leave time that wasn’t used, but cashed out, as well as funds from a legal settlement, according to the controller’s office.
In a 3-0 vote, with Supervisor Kevin Jeffries opposed and Supervisor Karen Spiegel abstaining, the Board of Supervisors earlier this month approved a raise for the sheriff, boosting his annual salary from $273,463 to 347,771, beginning in the next fiscal year, which starts Monday.
The second-highest paid in 2023 was Director of Behavioral Health Dr. Matthew Chang – who was the highest paid in 2022. His composite salary last year was $539,695.
Next in line was Riverside University Health System-Medical Center CEO Jennifer Cruikshank, whose total comp last year was $512,912, according to the report.
An unnamed sheriff’s sergeant was No. 4 on the list, with a base salary of $175,953, bulked up with $129,361 in overtime and a lump sum payout of $187,774.
A senior psychiatrist in the county Department of Mental Health followed at No. 5 with $499,032 in total compensation, while another staff psychiatrist landed at No. 6 with $498,418 in take-home pay.
At No. 7 was a supervising District Attorney’s Office investigator, receiving $490,317. Just behind that person was another psychiatrist, whose annual comp was $489,701.
The balance of the top 10 was comprised of two additional Department of Mental Health staff psychiatrists, whose total compensation ranged from $465,655 to $472,446 in 2023.
County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen was at No. 32, with total compensation of $383,080, according to the report.
Board members were way down the list for annual comp packages, making less than many deputy district attorneys, sheriff’s investigators, even an “administrative services manager” for the Department of Public Social Services, according to figures.
The supervisors’ composite pay ranged from $162,295 to $210,496 in 2023, with Jeffries at the bottom because he has consistently declined pay raises since first taking office in 2013. He’s the most senior member of the board and will be retiring from politics at the end of the year.
The controller’s website indicated the average pay for a county employee last year was $64,209. County government is the single largest employer in Riverside County, with nearly 28,000 positions. Roughly $2.07 billion in total wages were paid in 2023.
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