BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Palo Alto City Manager Ed Shikada was the sixth-highest paid city manager in California last year, according to a report by California State Controller Malia Cohen.
Shikada’s total compensation was $618,801 in 2023, Cohen said in her annual report on government pay.
That includes $413,330 in wages and $205,471 for his pension and health care, Cohen said.
Shikada was Palo Alto’s highest paid city employee last year, breaking the $400,000 salary threshold for the first time. The number of city employees making more than $300,000 grew last year to 27 — nearly triple from the year before.
Council last summer approved new contracts for its employees that give them raises from 7% to 21%, depend-ing on the job. The raises took effect on July 1, 2023.
The state’s highest paid city manager last year was from the Southern California town of Commerce, population 12,124, Cohen said in her report.
City Manager Edgar Cisneros resigned from Commerce in November after allegedly taking bribes from cannabis stores, the Pasadena Star News reported.
Cisneros reportedly received a lump sum payment to bring his total pay to $711,517.
City managers in Sacramento, Pomona, Beverly Hills and Inglewood also made more than Shikada last year.
The next highest paid city managers in the area are Jeff Maltbie from San Carlos and Melissa Stevenson Diaz from Redwood City.
San Carlos paid Maltbie $424,881 in wages and $90,507 for retirement and health care, bringing his total pay to $515,388 last year, Cohen said.
Stevenson Diaz made $390,980 in pay and $122,254 in benefits for a total compensation of $513,234, Cohen said.
Mountain View City Manager Kimbra McCarthy made $475,538 in wages and benefits last year, Cohen’s report shows.
Belmont City Manager Afshin Oskoui made $424,273 in total compensation.
Los Altos City Manger Gabriel Engeland made $358,056, Menlo Park City Manager Justin Murphy made $349,071 and Atherton City Manager George Rodericks made $347,653.