Dionne Mack, the new El Paso city manager, will be paid a base salary of $350,000 a year when she takes over the role next week.
The city’s third city manager and first African American hired to lead the city in the role, Mack will also receive other benefits under her contract – but she forfeited annual merit increases based on performance evaluations. She was hired Aug. 19, and her first day is Sept. 3.
The El Paso City Council voted unanimously to approve her contract after negotiations in executive session Tuesday.
“During this process, it’s really important for me to make sure I continue to execute on the things that you have done to show your investment in our workforce,” Mack said. “As we continue to do that, I feel that any time that I have success, it is because of a wonderful team, and that we should be celebrating those successes together.”
Mayor Oscar Leeser said Mack did not want benefits above what others on her team are provided.
“You want to be just like the team you’re leading. You want to be part of the team you’re leading. You don’t want additional bonuses. You don’t want additional insurance,” Leeser said after congratulating Mack. “You want what your team gets – and that’s a great team leader.”
Leeser said the employment agreement has the best interests of Mack and the city in mind.
“You turned (the employment agreement) even greater, and made sure that all the team members that you represent, which is a lot, are treated equally, just like you are,” Leeser said.
The initial employment term will be for three-and-a-half years – through March 2, 2028 – and will automatically be extended through March 2029 unless either Mack or City Council choose not to renew or extend it.
Mack’s contract does not include pay raises based on her annual employment evaluation, which will be conducted in August. Instead, she will receive the same pay raises as other city employees, such as service time and cost of living increases, without a total cap.
Mack will also receive the same insurance and health benefits that are available to all executive non-union or non-uniform employees such as vision, life insurance, health, dental and health savings account contributions.
Mack said she listened to the employees during the interview process who asked how she would support them if she was hired.
“I hope this (contract) is a demonstration of my commitment, because I certainly won’t be taking credit for the things that they’re doing without them getting the fair compensation that each one of them deserve,” Mack said.
Mack’s contract also includes terms for separation:
If the city terminates the agreement without cause on or before March 31, 2026, Mack is entitled to a severance of 18 months of base salary.
If the city terminates the agreement without cause after that date, she is entitled to a severance of 12 months of base salary.
If the city terminates the agreement for cause, the city manager is not entitled to severance.
If the city manager terminates the agreement, the city manager agrees to provide 45 days notice to the city of her resignation and is not eligible for severance if she resigns her employment.
If the severance provisions of the employment agreement are triggered, Mack and the city agree to enter into a mutually acceptable separation agreement that includes a full release by each along with other standard provisions.
Her car allowance will increase from $4,800 to $6,000 a year under her new employment agreement as was listed in the job posting, which stated it could change if the city adopts a different executive vehicle allowance policy.
Mack, 52, moved to El Paso from New York to serve as the library director in 2011 with a starting salary of $142,000, city documents show. Her current base pay is about $237,000.
Benefits under her current contract include $15,000 in annual deferred compensation, a $4,800 annual car allowance and a maximum balance of 600 hours vacation leave, documents obtained by El Paso Matters through the Texas Public Information Act show.
The search firm listed the city manager salary between $325,000 to $375,000. The position is contract-based with benefits, annual evaluations, merit increases, terms and other obligations determined and approved by the City Council.
Comparing contracts, compensations
Former City Manager Tommy Gonzalez, who was fired in February 2023, last earned a base salary of $431,000, while El Paso’s first city manager, Joyce Wilson, had an annual salary of $239,000 before she retired in 2014.
Gonzalez received a payout of about $890,000 after the City Council fired him “without good cause.” The clause was added to Gonzalez’s contract in October 2022.
Read more about former City Manager Tommy Gonzalez’s controversial employment contract.
Cary Westin, while serving as interim city manager, was paid $320,000 annually along with benefits including a $25,000 lump sum of deferred compensation and a $6,000 annual car allowance, among other benefits. He was also given a 200-hour deposit of vacation leave, but was not receiving pension contributions.
Prior to being named interim, Westin, who was serving as a senior operations officer for Gonzalez, was being paid about $106 an hour – up to $2,020 a week – for part-time work, according to his employment agreement obtained by El Paso Matters.The contract stipulated that his salary be capped at $110,000 annually and did not receive any other city employee benefits.
Under the council-manager form of government, Mack will be tasked with managing the city while implementing elected officials’ directives. She will oversee the municipality that employs close to 7,000 people, and will be responsible for preparing the annual budget, appoint executive leadership to oversee staff operations and city services and report to the mayor and council, among other responsibilities.
The post Incoming El Paso City Manager Dionne Mack’s annual salary set at $350,000 appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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