Deanna Santana had the second highest total compensation for city managers in California last year
SANTA CLARA — Her salary was already one of the highest among California’s city managers when she arrived four years ago, and now Deanna Santana’s latest raise, of $20,000, has ignited another heated debate about how much is too much.
“Due to the complexity and structure of the organization, 20 percent of the city manager’s time is charged to Silicon Valley Power, and another 20 percent is charged to the Stadium Authority,” Peterson added. The city auditor and the city attorney have the same arrangement, although both positions currently are vacant.
“A review of executive staff’s compensation is just one of the many items we need to help restore funds to critical city services and focus on the issues that really impact Santa Clarans,” he told this news organization this week.At the time, then-Councilman Dominic Caserta declared his “no” vote on her contract one of the “” he’s ever taken. More than four years later, Councilman Kevin Park and Becker both said they still hear complaints.
In 2020, Santana’s total compensation — which includes benefits — was $765,152, according to the California State Controller’s office.