The 2020 calendar year payroll listings posted to KansasOpenGov.org for Garden City and Finney County show some unusual compensation increases. City Manager Matt Allen says Garden City gave out pay-for-performance increases ranging from 1.6% to 4%, and some employees received additional increases as a result of a market pay study. Finney County Administrator Robert Reece didn’t respond to our request for comment.
There were 27 pay periods last year compared to the normal 26 pay periods the year before, which is factored out in the column headed ‘Net Change 26 Pays’ in the table below.
Allen didn’t mention any individuals by name but referencing the market pay adjustments, said, “Some of the positions listed were adjusted in late 2019 and/or early 2020 following a pay study. While the entire pay study implementation was delayed until January 1, 2021, some of the positions were so out of balance with the market that they were adjusted sooner.”
The largest increase among Garden City’s highest-paid employees went to Human Resources Director Allison Medina; her compensation of $96,937 was a net increase of 19.5%. Police Chief Michael Utz received the second-highest of 12.6% and was paid $135,797.
Finney County pay increases
County Attorney Susan Richmeier was the highest-paid employee in Finney County, earning $152,057 last year, for a net increase of about 4%. Several people received unexplained and unusual increases, including Investigations Major Gregory Hands, who was paid $117,101 or almost 47% (net) more than last year
Others with double-digit net increases include Deputy County Attorney Cathleen Abell (15.8%), Assistant County Attorney II Brian Sherwood (12.4%), and Assistant County Attorney II Kara Lynn Schartz (13%).
Compensation amounts were provided by Finney County and Garden City through Open Records requests.
