Sat. Nov 2nd, 2024

David Cavazos

Santa Ana City Manager David Cavazos is allegedly making $315,000 in annual salary, according to CBS News. Cavazos is also paid a massive $234,536.04 annual pension he engineered before he exited his previous job, in Phoenix.  His Santa Ana pay is padded by an additional estimated $243,000 in perks and benefits including an electric car , moving expenses and a housing allowance.  In all Cavazos is bringing home $800,000 a year!

You would think that Cavazos, a transplant originally from Chicago who claims his parents were Mexicans, would be happy with all of that money but my sources at City Hall are telling me that now he wants a 5.5% raise!  U.S. Census figures show the median household income in Santa Ana is $54,000.  Cavazos makes over $28,000 a month according to the City of Santa Ana’s published salary schedule.  In two months Cavazos nets more than most Santa Ana families make in a year.  And he still wants more of our money!

Before he left his job in Phoenix, Cavazos’ negotiated a $78K annual raise which inflated his annual salary to $315,000, not including a $600 per month car allowance, $4,000 annual “longevity” bonus and about $35,000 in deferred compensation, according to Arizona Central News.

David Cavazos

David Cavazos, a longtime Phoenix employee who rose through the ranks from intern to city manager during his 26-year tenure, had a total compensation package of $558,625 in his first year in Santa Ana. Only the city manager in tiny Indian Wells is listed as having a higher salary and benefits package at $677,172, according to the state controller’s office, which most recently released data for 2011. That paycheck included a severance payout to the city manager, who was stepping down, according to the L.A. Times.

Since 2001, the U.S. President has earned a $400,000 annual salary, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment.  That means that Cavazos is making twice what President Obama is paid!

Gov. Jerry Brown’s salary was increased to $174,000, in 2013, up from $165,288 but still below the high salary of $212,179 in 2008. The base pay of rank-and-file lawmakers will rise to $95,290 a year from the current $90,526, although most lawmakers take home an additional $30,000 a year in per diem payments, according to CBS News.

David Cavazos

That’s right.  Cavazos is making more than four times what Governor Brown earns – and Cavazos still wants a raise!

Did you know that our police officers have not had a raise in years?  And our service employees had to give back perks and pay while our city was struggling to pay its bills?  Is it right for Cavazos to make so much money and then have the gall to demand even more?

Please take a few minutes to contact the Santa Ana City Council members and let them know that Cavazos already makes too much money and the last thing they should do is fork over a big raise!  When was the last time you got a raise like this after one year at a job?

author avatar
Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

11 thoughts on “Why is City Manager David Cavazos demanding a raise when he already makes $800K a year?”
  1. Ratero. He is already double dipping too. You should look into the sweetheart contract he awarded his former co-worker from Phoenix, DAVID RICHERT, to update Santa Ana’s general plan in Jan 2014. Cavasos did so w/o council approval and knowing full well his buddy had zero qualifications.

  2. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s pretty decent city manager. He’s just very overpaid. That shouldn’t come as any surprise when you have council members that have no business experience. They just paid him alot because they couldn’t find anyone else. He receives a pension at the same time he’s asking for an increase in his already high salary. I guarantee this council will fold and give him whatever he wants.

  3. If Cavazos can fool the people of Santa Ana into increasing their utility tax (measure AA) then he deserves his cut.

  4. Nice. With more tax $, he can hire his old pals from Arizona to do nothing and get paid. Meet your new boss, same as your old boss just a lot more corrupt

  5. A good question would be what has he done since arriving? Other than rearranging the furniture, I’d say not much.

    Whoever said there wete no other candidates was wrong. There were six finalist vying for the job.

  6. Wasn’t the city attorney the one that had to craft the language for the utility tax dupe? So maybe she deserves the cheaters raise.

  7. Nice article Art, I’m glad your stepping it up.

    Typical Santa Ana politicians. These individuals don’t care about managing the city, they only care about their bank account! The city of Santa Ana is exactly like the city of Bell. All Latino staff…WHO CARES! But they sure do.

    Instead of the city council focusing on improving the lives of the residents; infrastructure, parks, safety, small businesses development ….you know those minor worthless things…..they just stroke each other and pay each other what they want!

    When is the department of justice going to investigate this city and how it misuses TAX payers money.

    No one care because WE are dumb ignorant Latinos. All we care about is working hard, our families and our love of the Lord.

    We are obviously the problem.

  8. City of Santa Ana from city officials to school district including the community college and school of continuing education, A corrupt thread of nepotism and price gouging, ballooned / inflated salaries…so corrupt!

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