Citing concerns with the city’s budget, the Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday, Nov. 5, voted to recommend a lower salary — $450,000 instead of a possible high of $507,000 — for former county Sheriff Jim McDonnell, the anticipated next chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Commissioners forwarded the proposed salary to the City Council for consideration. The board is responsible for recommending the salary of the police chief within a range of $408,745 to $507,509.
The board’s executive director proposed a $507,000 salary for McDonnell, but Board President Erroll Southers suggested a $450,000 salary, taking into account Interim Chief Dominic Choi’s salary as well as McDonnell’s experience and qualifications.
Southers noted that Choi received a pay bump from $392,774 to $436,746 when he assumed leadership, matching former chief Michel Moore’s salary. Moore, who retired in February, initially earned $350,000 annually.
Commissioner Maria Lou Calanche also expressed an interest in starting McDonnell at the lower salary as the city is in a budget crisis.
“I feel like it would be prudent to save money, and we expect this chief to get pay raises every year,” she said.
McDonnell’s proposed $450,000 salary exceeds that of Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, who earns around $397,340, according to county records. It also tops the salary of President Joe Biden, who gets $400,000.
In addition, the proposed salary would surpass that of New York Police Department commissioners, who earn about $243,000 annually, as well as Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling at $260,472 and Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz at $315,000.
McDonnell would not be the highest-paid city employee. In May, the City Council confirmed longtime Pacific Gas and Electric executive Janisse Quiñones as general manager of the Department of Water and Power with an annual salary of $750,000.
According to an LAPD report, McDonnell’s nomination could be considered by the City Council as soon as Friday. The City Council’s Public Safety Committee advanced McDonnell’s nomination on a 4-1 vote last week.
LAPD officials reported on Oct. 15 that officer recruitment challenges persist, with the department’s sworn personnel at 8,795.
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