To save money Chesapeake is firing 23 people and encouraging more than 60 others to retire.
But when NewsChannel 3 tried talking to Chesapeake City Manager William Harrell about the cuts - and his $170,000 taxpayer funded salary. He said no.
Instead, he sent out Mary Bullock.
"Don't ask me to give an opinion on what I think the manager should or shouldn't do... I think that's very presumptuous. "
Bullock is the head of human resources for Chesapeake, one of 40 or so city workers with a six-figure salary. She makes $123,000.
"The highly compensated employees in this city work long hours, are highly dedicated to their task and they give, they give and they give."
Most of the city employees recently laid-off were making just $20,000 to $40,000.
They were let go because Bullock says they weren't performing up to standards.
Chesapeake is also in a hiring freeze, considering pay cuts and trimming spending to meet budget.
That's why as part of an ongoing investigation, NewsChannel 3 wanted to speak to the city manager - the man making the most at a time like this - to talk about who pays the most at a time like this.
Mary Bullock says, "Well I think, we need to go back again to what I mentioned to you. The persons who were let go were unsatisfactory performers. They would've eventually been let go anyway because their performance was unsatisfactory."
In payrolls in Chesapeake and throughout Hampton roads the disparity between taxpayer funded salaries of low to mid-range employees and top administrators is large.
While Harrell makes close to $170,000, average workers in Chesapeake make a little less than $44,000.
In Portsmouth, city manager Ken Chandler brings home about $165,000 a year, while the average employee makes just $43,000.
Selena Cuffee Glenn makes $151,000 compared to Suffolk's citywide salary average of $40,000.
An even wider gap exists in Norfolk, where City Manager Regina Williams rakes in nearly $215,000 while the average employee takes home less than $45,000 a year.
It's a similar story in Virginia Beach. Jim spore makes about $220,000 when, on average, the city pays its workers $47,800.
Finally, Newport News has a hiring freeze in place and average employees making less than $43,000 a year - while the city pays not one but two city managers.
Recently removed, Randy Hildebrandt and interim head, Neil Morgan make a combined $350,000.
NewsChannel 3's repeated requests for an interview with the city manager were denied.
Mary Bullock notes the city manager works 24/7, 365 days a year.
She goes on to compare city managers who work on budget and oversee thousands of employees to CEO's of companies that generally make a lot more than a city manager.
The only difference is the fact that city managers aren't private citizens they're public servants paid by you.
The good news in Chesapeake is the city tells NewsChannel 3 it's been able to maintain core services throughout its budget challenges.
The bad news is more is expected out of everyone, even those who aren't paid to do the most.
"We've asked the employees to band together, knowing that when positions are vacant someone has to pick up the slack," says Bullock. "And our employees have been very dedicated picking up work that's been left behind because of vacancies."
But when NewsChannel 3 tried talking to Chesapeake City Manager William Harrell about the cuts - and his $170,000 taxpayer funded salary. He said no.
Instead, he sent out Mary Bullock.
"Don't ask me to give an opinion on what I think the manager should or shouldn't do... I think that's very presumptuous. "
Bullock is the head of human resources for Chesapeake, one of 40 or so city workers with a six-figure salary. She makes $123,000.
"The highly compensated employees in this city work long hours, are highly dedicated to their task and they give, they give and they give."
Most of the city employees recently laid-off were making just $20,000 to $40,000.
They were let go because Bullock says they weren't performing up to standards.
Chesapeake is also in a hiring freeze, considering pay cuts and trimming spending to meet budget.
That's why as part of an ongoing investigation, NewsChannel 3 wanted to speak to the city manager - the man making the most at a time like this - to talk about who pays the most at a time like this.
Mary Bullock says, "Well I think, we need to go back again to what I mentioned to you. The persons who were let go were unsatisfactory performers. They would've eventually been let go anyway because their performance was unsatisfactory."
In payrolls in Chesapeake and throughout Hampton roads the disparity between taxpayer funded salaries of low to mid-range employees and top administrators is large.
While Harrell makes close to $170,000, average workers in Chesapeake make a little less than $44,000.
In Portsmouth, city manager Ken Chandler brings home about $165,000 a year, while the average employee makes just $43,000.
Selena Cuffee Glenn makes $151,000 compared to Suffolk's citywide salary average of $40,000.
An even wider gap exists in Norfolk, where City Manager Regina Williams rakes in nearly $215,000 while the average employee takes home less than $45,000 a year.
It's a similar story in Virginia Beach. Jim spore makes about $220,000 when, on average, the city pays its workers $47,800.
Finally, Newport News has a hiring freeze in place and average employees making less than $43,000 a year - while the city pays not one but two city managers.
Recently removed, Randy Hildebrandt and interim head, Neil Morgan make a combined $350,000.
NewsChannel 3's repeated requests for an interview with the city manager were denied.
Mary Bullock notes the city manager works 24/7, 365 days a year.
She goes on to compare city managers who work on budget and oversee thousands of employees to CEO's of companies that generally make a lot more than a city manager.
The only difference is the fact that city managers aren't private citizens they're public servants paid by you.
The good news in Chesapeake is the city tells NewsChannel 3 it's been able to maintain core services throughout its budget challenges.
The bad news is more is expected out of everyone, even those who aren't paid to do the most.
"We've asked the employees to band together, knowing that when positions are vacant someone has to pick up the slack," says Bullock. "And our employees have been very dedicated picking up work that's been left behind because of vacancies."
