El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez's salary may near $600,000 by end of contract in 2029

El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez could be making nearly $600,000 by the end of his contract in 2029.

Assuming Gonzalez continues to receive annual favorable employee evaluations that make him eligible for a 5% merit increase by the end his contract in July 2029, Gonzalez's salary could clock in as high as $597,448.89.

That's a 150% salary increase since he first signed on with the city at $238,959 in 2014. 

Laura Cruz-Acosta, a city of El Paso spokeswoman, said she spoke with Gonzalez's staff and they couldn't confirm an estimate of Gonzalez's salary at the end of his contract. 

"There are too many variables to be able to confirm the numbers," Cruz-Acosta said. 

According to his contract, Gonzalez can also receive:

• Across-the-board pay raises;
• Service time increases;
• Other noncollective bargaining pay city employees receive;
• Annual market-based reviews of his base salary.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser had a chance to cap Gonzalez's salary at $450,000, but he vetoed that and other contract amendment changes, including a contract extension until 2029 and having the city pay the legal maximum contribution to Gonzalez's pension. 

Leeser declined to comment. 

"That was weeks ago, and I don't want to continue to talk about that," Leeser said. 

Leeser also declined to comment on whether he would support a salary cap for the city manager if it is brought to the City Council.

At the time, Leeser listed three reasons for issuing his veto, among them was that Gonzalez's contract wasn't set to expire until 2024. 

Had a salary cap been put in place, Gonzalez's salary would have come close to hitting that limit by 2023 when his salary, assuming he receives his merit increase, would be $445,825.64.

The City Council chose not to challenge the veto, but drew up new contract amendments instead.

On May 23, the council voted 6-2 to extend Gonzalez's contract until June 22, 2029, and added an amendment that requires the city to reimburse Gonzalez for "any reasonable necessary legal costs and expenses" regarding his updated contract. 

Leeser issued a second veto May 26, but City Council representatives overrode it in another 6-2 vote following a meeting June 6.

After the meeting, District 6 city Rep. Claudia Rodriguez issued a statement saying that the City Council continues the conversation about capping the city manager's salary, among other things. 

"I also fully understand El Pasoans' frustration with the city manager’s salary, and for that reason it is of utmost importance and a priority to me that we bring back the conversation of the cap in a healthy, sound and mature manner," Rodriguez said.

Gonzalez's golden parachute

Gonzalez's contract also includes a $230 biweekly "automobile allowance," among other benefits, and a hefty severance package.

The conditions of the severance package state that in the instance of resignation, nonrenewal of agreement or termination by the city without good cause, Gonzalez would be paid, in one lump sum, a year's worth of current base salary, plus benefits.

The city agrees to pay out, in addition to the year's salary, all granted and accrued but unused vacation and sick leave, as well as his automobile allowance to the date of termination of the agreement.

Frisco sets eyes on Gonzalez

What prompted debate on changing Gonzalez's contract was an announcement May 10 that Gonzalez was among three other candidates considered for the city manager position in Frisco, Texas, a town about 28 miles north of Dallas.

On May 16, hours after the El Paso City Council passed its first attempt at amending his contract, Gonzalez said he withdrew his name from the applicant pool. What followed was a drawn-out debate with two vetoes and two heated City Council sessions. 

On May 23, Wes Pierson was chosen as Frisco's new city manager and was offered a base starting salary of $285,000, among other perks in his contract, according to the Community Impact Newspaper. That same day, El Paso City Council continued to sweeten the pot for Gonzalez by passing amendments for a contract extension and legal reimbursement.

In a May 30 opinion column, former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said Gonzalez's salary was appropriate, but that it should be limited. 

"The city of El Paso has over 6,000 employees with an enterprise budget of $1 billion," Margo wrote.

Despite El Paso's sluggish population growth, skyrocketing cost of living, increased property  values and its median per capita income of $23,450, according to U.S. Census Bureau data , Gonzalez's salary is among some of the highest for city managers in Texas .

In 2020, the Dallas Morning News reported City Manager T.C. Broadnax was earning $406,850 annually in salary. The city, with an estimated population of over 1.28 million, employs roughly 13,000 and has a total budget of more than $4 billion, records show. 

In 2019, News4 San Antonio reported San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh's salary was $312,000. The city of San Antonio employs more than 12,000 people and operates a $3.1 billion budget. San Antonio's previous city manager, Sheryl Sculley, was being paid $475,000 by the end of her time with the city, which began in 2005 and ended in 2019.

 Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.