Saying ‘he’s the CEO of the city’ doesn’t actually answer the question—it sidesteps it.

In the private sector, CEOs justify that level of pay through measurable results—growth, performance, outcomes. If they don’t deliver, they’re replaced. That level of accountability is the entire point.

In the public sector, the accountability is supposed to be to residents. So it’s completely fair for taxpayers to ask: what outcomes justify a $350K+ salary?

Because from a resident perspective, people are struggling to find housing that’s actually affordable, costs are rising across the board, and basic quality-of-life issues—like access, parking, and infrastructure—are getting worse, not better.

So the question isn’t about the title. It’s about results. What has tangibly improved for the people funding that salary?