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SLO Council approves bonuses for Lichtig and Dietrick

May 4, 2016

SLO City Manager Katie LichtigThe San Luis Obispo City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve $5,000 retention bonuses for City Manager Katie Lichtig and City Attorney Christine Dietrick. Lichtig has now received bonuses two years in a row, and Dietrick has now received five bonuses or raises in five years.

As in 2015, Councilman Dan Carpenter cast the lone dissenting vote on the bonuses for Lichtig and Dietrick. The other four council members voted in favor of the financial rewards, even though all public comment on the matter — both written an oral — voiced opposition to the bonuses.

City staffers said they proposed $5,000 bonuses for Lichtig and Dietrick based on performance and the average pay of comparable markets in recent years. Residents who criticized the financial rewards said Lichtig and Dietrick are already overpaid.

Lichtig receives a base salary of $230,464, and her total yearly compensation is $321,021. Dietrick’s salary is $199,844, and her total compensation is $275,778.

By contrast, both Gov. Jerry Brown and California Attorney General Kamala Harris receive less than $200,000 a year in total compensation.

Christine Dietrick

Christine Dietrick

In 2015, the San Luis Obispo council granted Lichtig a car allowance of $450 a month, or $5,400 annually, and a cash bonus of $7,600. Dietrick received a 7 percent raise that increased her base salary by more than $12,000.

Previously, Dietrick received a 3.5 percent raise in 2012, followed by a 4.5 percent bump in pay in 2013 and a 4.2 percent salary increase in 2014.

Licthtig has received criticism for rising staffing costs, as well as for high turnover of upper-level staff. In the past four years, the city has gone through four finance directors, four city clerks and two police chiefs.


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I absolutely don’t support these inflated wages.

But, I think many would agree that kind of lifestyle isn’t a fulfilling one. Leave the money matters alone. The citizens, families, community people, we are the happy ones.

There isn’t a justification for that kind of compensation, especially when private sector pay is so low. Not being a part of that excessive bureaucracy makes me feel good.


The people don’t pay the politicians and the vice-versa. At least, that’s the way it should be. It’s about achieving balance in society and a rewarding life for all. I certainly hope that the US can arrive at this point someday, hopefully in my lifetime.


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We hear politicians talk all the time about equal pay, unfortunately they only mean between male and female and not between private and public sector.


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Everyone needs to remember that their pay is our money. They don’t work for the City Council or Board of Supervisors or the Democratic Central Committee. Every penny flowing into all these government institutions (Local governments, Coastal Commission, Water Quality Board, Air Quality, State and Federal Governments) all rely on the backs of the hard works citizens of this Country and yet, we have been sold not the river for the special interests, lobbyists, elite of the parties, etc. There time is now on the clock! People are getting sick of the dishonest government we are now allowing in this Country with all the hate baiters, illegals, crooked politicians, etc.

Karma can be painful!


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Stupid move…almost as stupid as hiring someone from Santa Monica or Santa Cruz.


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when you go to a slo city council meeting you see why they hire from those places as they must hire FAR FAR FAR lefties to match the board majority that seems to never CHANGE!


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Public Private Partnerships are @#$%^ &*&*( ())


That is code for “sovietizing” meaning communism.


When you partner with government you are China not what was the USA


So why pay these people that are paid by us SO MUCH $$$$?


Only Dan Carpenter gets it.


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5,000 is pennies for the city of SLO. They really should have done more like 15 or 20k so it would make a difference in their 300k compensation. Remember, they are the true heroes of today’s world. Without politicians and government leaders…you get the point.

This weekend walk to show your support…


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I am curious about a couple of things.


One- Average performance might win one a COLA. A $5000 BONUS would necessitate an exemplary performance in job duties. Are the taxpayers allowed to review her employee evaluation? Additionally, in my *personal* experience with employee evaluations, any rating above satisfactory/meets standards requires documentation. Specific documentation. What exactly makes the employee awesome. Do customers/taxpayers/residents/patients/clients speak favorably of the employee? Do colleagues find the employee amenable to work with? Are there specific examples? Are there examples of times the employee went “above and beyond” to assist the employer? THIS is what taxpayers need to see!


Two- PAY. What were the “comparables” used to justify these pay raises? I mean, they are making more than the Governor of the State. WTF.


Lastly, how do these executives justify taking these huge pay raises? City managers, Attorneys, Board of Supervisors, etc are taking bonuses, raises, and their rank and file workers stand back being called “lazy government leeches” without getting raises that keep up with the cost of living. I wonder if the City Water employee on call and getting up at 3am to deal with a broken hydrant or other issue is LOVING their bonus they didn’t get. They usually get told they are getting paid in “central coast sunshine.”


Doesn’t it make y’all feel warm and fuzzy?


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