Oro Valley Town Manager Received Significant Compensation Bump After Election

The defeated majority on town council and current carry-over members, Solomon, Rodman, and Pina, significantly enriched the compensation package of town manager, Mary Jacobs. On September 5, a week after the council majority lost the election, they awarded Jacobs:

• An annual compensation increase of 12.5%, to an annual salary of $180,000
• A 100%, $5,000 increase in the town's contribution to her retirement plan 
• An increase of 5 vacation days to 27 vacation days per year
• A grant of 7 months severance pay if she is terminated for other than cause

Town manager's is Southern Arizona receive compensation similar to Jacobs: 

• Siera Vista:   $138,000
• Sahuarita:     $181,000
• Marana:        $200,000
• Tucson:         $210,000

       (Source)

We believe that these changes in compensation are based on the council's assessment of Jacob's job performance. Generally, a change in compensation at this level would indicate that her job performance was superior.

Jacob's compensation increase embeds more spending in Oro Valley's budget. This, at a time when the reliability of ongoing sales tax revenues, the town's mainstay source of operating revenue, is suspect.

According to her contract, the council was obligated to make a reasonable effort to evaluate Ms. Jacobs within 30 days of her one year anniversary, which was September 5, 2017. We do no know if they could have deferred a final decision on her compensation to the incoming council.
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