City Administrator in Palmdale Gets Raise

The Palmdale City Council on Monday granted City Administrator Bob Toone a 3% raise that boosts his annual salary to $95,889. The increase was less than the 5% Toone had sought, but nevertheless keeps his salary above those of the city managers of several larger cities, including nearby Lancaster.

Council members voted 5 to 0 to approve Toone’s pay increase as part of a two-year contract that takes effect Jan. 1. His current salary is $93,064. The new contract leaves open the issue of whether Toone will receive another raise in the second year of the two-year pact.

Palmdale Mayor Pete Knight said a 5% raise this January and the same amount next year would have pushed Toone’s salary to nearly $103,000. “We felt the absolute magnitude of the contract was getting a little high,” Knight said, explaining the council’s opposition.

Knight and other council members insisted the decision did not reflect any dissatisfaction with Toone’s performance. Toone, 47, came to Palmdale in late 1986 after serving as assistant city manager for the city of La Mesa in San Diego County.

Toone’s $95,889 salary is nearly $8,000 higher than the $88,000 amount paid Steve West, the city manager in Lancaster, even though that city has a population of 80,000 compared to 50,000 in Palmdale. A recent survey also showed that Toone’s salary is well above those paid his counterparts in six other larger cities.