Manager Paid Most by City

City Manager Robert W. Healy earned the highest salary of Cambridge’s employees in 2009 with a figure of $326,944.07, according to information recently obtained by the Cambridge Chronicle.

On the roster of 274 city employees who earned more than $100,000 in 2009, Deputy City Manager Richard C. Rossi came in second with a salary topping $270,000.

Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Carolyn L. Turk, Fire Chief Gerald R. Reardon, and Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas rounded out the top five earners, earning between $175,000 and $185,000.

The Chronicle reported that Healy is one of the highest paid chief executives of a city in Massachusetts, pointing out that the mayor of Boston earned $170,000 after taking a pay cut in 2009.

Cambridge city councillors each earned approximately $70,000 last year. E. Denise Simmons, who served as mayor until November of 2009, earned $107,132.76 last year.

Cambridge City Councillor Leland Cheung said that a comparison between Healy, who has served as Cambridge’s manager since 1981, and a mayor of another town might be a flawed analogy. Instead, Cheung said, Healy plays a role similar to that of a CEO of a corporation, and his salary is similar to others in that position.

“I don’t necessarily believe that a professional city manager’s salary in comparison with a mayor’s is neccesarily a valid comparison,” Healy said in an interview with The Crimson. “This is a $500 million corporation that I happen to be the chief executive of, and that salary is not out of line.”

But some citizens were skeptical of the high salaries paid to public employees in Cambridge.

“Seventy-five thousand dollars is what people need for happiness. Anything over $100,000 in public service is excessive,” said North Cambridge resident Neil W. McCabe. “Three years into this economic crisis, it’s unfortunate that people making so much money at public expense haven’t taken the lead to show what they’re willing to sacrifice.”

He added that while a “huge class” of city employees earn excessive salaries, “regular people” who are not part of the political or public service elite struggle to pay their bills.

“They have a piano on their back that’s the city of Cambridge,” McCabe said.

But Healy said that while “there are always naysayers,” most citizens are not upset by the city’s payroll.

“In general the public is content with the operation of the city government, and these are salaries that are reasonable for the services delivered,” he said.

Echoing Healy’s sentiment, Cheung said that the city manager in particular deserves his paycheck, citing Cambridge’ low unemployment rate and flourishing business scene as evidence of “the professional manner” in which Healy runs the city.

“To me, the fact that he’s bringing in jobs for people is worth what we’re paying him,” Cheung said.

While Healy’s pay is determined by the City Council, he said that he is responsible for assigning the salaries of most other city employees. Many employees, he noted, are members of unions which engage in collective bargaining to arrive at their pay rates.

The chart compiled by the Chronicle shows that police officers made anywhere from $54,000 to just over $145,000; fire fighters were paid $47,000 to $95,500; and teachers earned between $20,800 and $106,500 in 2009. Over 2,100 city employees were paid more that $20,000 during the year.

—Staff writer Julie M. Zauzmer can be reached at jzauzmer@college.harvard.edu