Previous Story
20 govt lawyers exempted from salary cap
|
Posted on Jul 11 2008
The Fitial administration has exempted 20 government attorneys from the $50,000 annual salary ceiling.
Then acting Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez recently issued a certification allowing staff at the Attorney General’s Office to receive annual salaries exceeding the $50,000 set by the Compensation Adjustment Act.
According to the list, Attorney General Matthew T. Gregory will receive $80,000 a year. Deputy Attorney General Gregory Baka and recently appointed Chief Prosecutor Kevin Lynch will each get $70,000 a year.
Among the highest paid assistant attorneys general are Alan Joseph Barak, Edward Buckingham, David W. Lochabay, and Rebecca Warfield, who will each get $65,000 a year. The salary for AAG Jeffery L. Warfield is not too far behind, at $63,000 year.
Other AAG’s paid over $60,000 are Mike A. Nisperos, Eleanor Nisperos, James Stump, Anthony Alexander Gorman, and Joseph Taijeron.
Only three attorneys at the AGO are getting within-the-cap salaries. One of them earns $50,000 and the two others get $49,000 and $47,000 respectively.
Fifteen of the attorneys receive housing allowance amounting to $600 or $800, in addition to their regular pay.
The over-the-cap salaries are allowed by a law signed in September 2007. Under Public Law 15-81, government attorneys, as well as certified public accountants, may receive over the $50,000 annual salary cap. The legislation took effect retroactively to Oct. 1, 2006. The retroactive provision was included to restore pay cuts made because the fiscal year 2007 budget did not have special provisions allowing for the raised caps. Under appropriation acts between Oct. 1, 1998 and Sept. 30, 2006, an annual salary ceiling of $70,000 applied to Executive Branch attorneys and CPAs. However, the FY2007 budget law did not include a similar provision. As a result, the salary ceiling for these professionals reverted to $50,000 for the first time in eight years. The Legislature said the salary cap exemption was needed so the government could hire and retain full time employees, and subsequently, minimize personnel turnover costs.
