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THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: February 25, 2009

These are lean times for government in Florida. Government revenue continues to plunge as the recession and real estate bust drag on with no end in sight. So there is a premium these days on getting value for our public dollars. With that in mind, it was interesting to see a list of the salaries of ranking public officials on the Suncoast The Tampa Tribune has compiled.

One listing that stands out is that of Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher, who makes $180,730 a year. If you're toiling for minimum wage or standing in an unemployment line, that's a princely sum. Compare that salary and Gallagher's nearly 27 years in the county administrator's post, however, with the pay and tenure of three of his counterparts in the region: Polk County Manager Robert "Mike" Herr, five years on the job, $185,343; Hillsborough County Administrator Patricia Bean, three years, $221,395; and Pinellas County Administrator Robert LaSala, less than one year, $225,000.

You could make the case that Pasco County government is smaller potatoes than Pinellas or Hillsborough. Gallagher, however, makes $5,000 a year less than the city manager of Lakeland is pulling down after only five years on the job.

Not making a big issue of how much he's paid is one reason Gallagher has survived as county administrator for more than a quarter-century. Running a pretty tight ship for all that time with little or no controversy or scandal hasn't hurt either.

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