CCDC’s executive director brings home the bacon

There’s good money in urban renewal.

The executive director of Capital City Development Corp., Boise’s urban renewal agency, makes more than the Boise mayor. More than the governor. More than the chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court.

Phil Kushlan makes $127,820, and in the past two years has received pay increases of more than $10,000 a year, partly due to a compensation study, according to information provided by CCDC.

Cheryl Larabee, chairwoman of the board for CCDC, said that CCDC had actually been much more conservative with Kushlan’s wages than Mercer, their human resources consulting group, recommended. Based on a study of urban renewal district directors’ wages in Anaheim, Denver, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego and San Jose, six cities with similar urban renewal budgets, they recommended raising his wages to $156,000, the 25th percentile of what those agency heads make.

That pay is far more than what some other city employees make. Bruce Chatterton, the director of Planning and Development Services – which oversees every development in the city, both in and out of CCDC’s urban renewal districts – makes $104,400. Since joining the city in 2004, his annual raises have always been less than $3,000, according to information provided by the city of Boise.

Todd Bunderson, CCDC’s economic development and finance director, is the second most highly paid employee in CCDC. He draws a salary of $99,279, compared to Boise Economic Development Manager Jeff Jones’ $81,012.
CCDC’s Planning Director Pam Sheldon and Development Director Mike Hall receive smaller salaries than those received by Boise Planning Director Hal Simmons and Building Division Manager Jenifer Gilliland, although Sheldon made more than both Simmons and Gilliland when she held the combined planning and development post for CCDC.
Boise Mayor David Bieter – who has refused all increases to his own $91,229 salary since taking office in 2004, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Duncan – called for an audit of CCDC last week.
Based on data from the State Controller’s Office, Kushlan makes more money than a number of state officials, including:
• Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter – $105,560.
• Lt. Gov. Jim Risch – $27,820.
• Attorney General Lawrence Wasden – $95,160.
• Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna – $85,800.
• Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Schroeder – $112,000.
• Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor Director Roger Madsen – $99,652.80.
• Idaho Transportation Department Director Pamela Lowe – $116,750.40.
Of the more than 90 state agency heads, only a few make more than Kushlan: Department of Health and Welfare Director Richard Armstrong, who makes $130,000; James Alcorn, the executive of the state insurance fund, who makes $174,990.40; and the university presidents and some state college presidents – Boise State University President Bob Kustra makes $261,262.
The highest-paid state employee in Idaho is Boise State head football coach Chris Peterson, who receives $400,000 of his $850,000 base salary from the state budget. He will earn more than $1 million dollars in all if Boise State wins another bowl game.
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To contact the author of this story, send e-mail to:  lora.volkert@idahobusiness.net.