Caltrain CEO Highest Paid Transit Boss In California
SAN CARLOS (AP) -- Caltrain's chief executive is the highest-paid transit boss in California, while the rail line said it is struggling to stay financially afloat.
Caltrain CEO Mike Scanlon, who also oversees SamTrans and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, makes more than $400,000 a year — 59 percent more than the median CEO salary among the state's 23 largest transit operators, according to a Bay Area News Group review of salaries recorded by the State Controller's Office.
Scanlon's salary of $400,668 was significantly higher than that of Bay Area Rapid Transit General Manager Dorothy Dugger, the transit boss with the state's second-highest salary who makes $354,010 a year, the Bay Area News Group reported. BART, however, has four times the staff and ridership of Scanlon's agency.
The latest salary figures were released as Caltrain has proposed shutting down as much as half of its 32 stations, raising fares and cutting service to plug a $30 million deficit.
SamTrans, which runs bus service throughout San Mateo County, also has recently cut bus routes and increased fares, citing a serious budget crunch.
Scanlon declined to comment on his compensation.
Caltrain board president Sean Elsbernd defended Scanlon's salary, pointing out that Caltrain has lower overall administrative costs than other transit agencies. He also said Scanlon, who has worked in the industry for 44 years, is the right person to lead the agency.
"Mike is straightforward, to the point, highly intelligent and a man of integrity," Elsbernd told the Bay Area News Group. "You can't ask for much more."
Other board members cited Scanlon's accomplishments since taking over in 1999, such as implementing the popular Baby Bullet service. He also was recently named chairman of the committee that oversees the American Public Transportation Association.
"No doubt his performance was considered outstanding, and we did not want to lose him," said Jim Hartnett, a former Caltrain and SamTrans board chairman who helped set Scanlon's compensation.
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