San Bernardino has slashed Mayor John Valdivia’s salary. Beginning Dec. 2022, he will take home $50,000 less per year — a 56% decrease. The city council vote was 5-2.
The city conducted a comparison of mayor salaries last year and found Valdivia’s compensation to be wildly out of step. He earned $115,561 in 2020, making him the ninth-highest paid mayor in California, according to the San Bernardino Sun. Total take-home pay was even higher at $143,000.
The median household income in San Bernardino is only $46,000. In neighboring Riverside, the mayor makes about $83,000 per year. Adelanto, Big Bear Lake, Loma Linda, Needles, and Victorville pay their mayors an average of just $7,760 a year.
The past few months have been rough for Valdivia. In November, an investigation concluded he improperly billed the city for several trips along with invitations to a private event. He was censured by the city council the following month.
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