Long Beach : City Manager Hankla Gets Salary Increase of $13,000

The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $13,000 pay raise for City Manager James C. Hankla, bringing his salary to a little more than $150,000. It is Hankla’s third raise in less than 16 months. Three weeks ago the city attorney, the city prosecutor, the auditor and the city clerk also received large raises, making most of the group higher-paid than their counterparts at larger cities in the state.

The San Diego city manager, for example, earns $126,372, San Jose’s $127,428. “It is certainly a substantial salary, and a lot of people don’t make this kind of money,” Mayor Ernie Kell told the council, adding that Hankla’s “caliber” made him worthy of it.

Other councilmen, who gave Hankla high marks during a recent closed-door job evaluation session, agreed. Councilman Wallace Edgerton said constituents worried about the city’s tight budget might complain about the raise, but that the city “needs to be competitive.”