What Salina Pays Its Department Directors — and the Workweeks Behind the Salaries
As Salina continues discussion surrounding its 2027 budget, Salina311 received questions regarding what City department directors are paid and what workweek expectations apply to those positions.
City records show annual salaries for department directors ranging from about $129,000 to $169,000.
The salaries listed by the City were:
Scott Gardner, Director of Computer Technology — $153,520
Lauren Driscoll, Director of Community & Development Services — $161,196.72
Rodney Pearson, Fire Chief — $143,330.54
Deborah Pack, Director of Finance & Administration — $169,256.76
Natalie Fischer, Director of Human Resources — $146,208.84
Jason Maxwell, Municipal Judge — $144,000
Clarence Wise, Chief of Police — $150,454.18
Jeffrey Hammond, Director of Parks & Recreation — $129,186.13
Ronald Marsh, Director of Public Works — $145,656
Martha Tasker, Director of Utilities — $169,256.76
Lawrence Anderson, Director of Arts & Humanities — $139,247
Note: Jeffrey Hammond has resigned from the City, and there is currently no permanent Parks & Recreation director. His salary is included here as a reference point because it was part of the director salary information provided by the City.
Under the City's Personnel Manual, a classified full-time position is one requiring an average of at least 40 hours per week on a regular, year-round basis.
The City's standard workweek generally runs from Monday through Sunday, while some fire and law enforcement personnel operate under separate work-period rules. The manual also allows alternate work schedules and places department operating hours under City Manager approval.
The most notable variation in the records is Salina Arts & Humanities.
A schedule approved in January 2025 established a regular four-day workweek for the department, Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with public office hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a one-hour lunch period.
That schedule remains structured around a 40-hour workweek.
The Arts & Humanities policy also includes specific provisions for holidays. Depending on where a holiday falls during the week, employees may adjust hours through shortened lunches, extended workdays, vacation time or, with approval, Friday work.
The approval further states that schedule adjustments must be made within the same Monday-through-Sunday workweek and that Arts & Humanities employees are required to work Fridays during the Smoky Hill River Festival period.
The records show that Salina's department directors generally fall under the City's standard full-time workweek policies, with Arts & Humanities operating under a separately approved four-day schedule.
Among the currently listed directors, annual salaries range from $139,247 for the Arts & Humanities director to $169,256.76 for both the Finance & Administration director and Utilities director.
