The 20 highest-paid government employees in Mecklenburg County in 2024
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
For a transparent look at how your taxpayer dollars are spent, Axios has compiled a list of the highest-paid government employees in Mecklenburg County.
Why it matters: Local government must pay employees enough to retain talent while still being good stewards of tax dollars.
Zoom in: On the board of county commissioners, the chairman's salary is $52,000. He receives $21,975 for auto, technology and other expenses.
- Commissioners make $41,600 and get a $21,521 expense allowance.
See the list of the county's highest-paid full-time staffers below. We only included base salaries, not benefits or bonuses.
1. Dena Diorio, County Manager
Salary: $430,329.24
Job description: The county's top boss, responsible for day-to-day operations and carrying out the commissioners' policy decisions.
- Diorio was Mecklenburg County's first female county manager.
- She is retiring July 1, 2025.
- Mecklenburg County is in charge of the health department, education, social services and the library system.
Mecklenburg County manager Dena Diorio will retire in 2025
2. Leslie Johnson, Deputy County Manager
Salary: $338,027.39
Job description: The county manager has a few deputy managers under her.
- Johnson is the executive assigned to the Land Use and Environmental Services Agency, Park and Recreation, the Office of Economic Development, and the county's strategic planning and evaluation initiatives.
3. Anthony Trotman, Deputy County Manager
Salary: $326,344.81
Job description: Manages the health and human services agency, which includes social services and public health.
- Trotman was Diorio's temporary replacement when the county manager was on a month-long personal leave last year.
4. Thomas Owens, County Medical Examiner
Salary: $310,501.79
Job description: Directs the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office and works with pathologists and investigators on homicide cases and autopsies.
5. Michael Bryant, Deputy County Manager
Salary: $310,137.05
Job description: Oversees the financial services department, tax collector office, the assessor's office, IT and human resources.
6. Jonathan Privette, Forensic Pathologist
Salary: $305,185.65
Job description: Works on cases in the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office.
7. Tyrone Wade, Attorney
Salary: $304,617.06
Job description: Leads the county's internal legal office.
8. Derrick Ramos, Deputy County Manager and Chief of Staff
Salary: $296,677.10
Job description: Oversees and manages the County Manager's Office operations, as well as three other departments: Asset and Facility Management, Criminal Justice Services, and the Medical Examiner's Office.
9. Bonnie Coyle-Ronco, Medical Director
Salary: $289,862.55
Job description: A leader within Mecklenburg County Public Health.
10. James Lozano, Forensic Pathologist
Salary: $286,267.49
11. Benjamin Daggett, Forensic Pathologist
Salary: $265,225.00
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12. Marcellus "MT" Turner, CEO of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Salary: $260,997.32
Job description: Turner came from the Seattle Public Library in 2021. He's leading the system as it embarks on a $137.33-million project to build a new Main Library in Uptown.
Main library in Uptown is being torn down to make way for a new 5-story facility
13. Raynard Washington, Director of Public Health
Salary: $254,585.11
Job description: Public Health is one of four departments inside the county's Health and Human Services Agency. His work ranges from keeping the community abreast of illnesses that are going around to curbing the metro's rat problem to keeping as many people healthy during a pandemic as possible, when it comes to that.
14. Keith Gregg, Chief Information Officer
Salary: $252,982.69
Job description: IT provides technology tools for employees.
15. David Boyd, Chief Financial Officer
Salary: $250,354.71
Job description: Leads the finance team in its tasks, from payroll to grant management.
16. Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi, Director of LUESA
Salary: $249,262.30
Job description: Land Use and Environmental Services Agency, across six divisions, enforces building and zoning codes and oversees waste reduction efforts, among other undertakings.
17. Garry McFadden, Sheriff
Salary: $244,715.83
Job description: Elected by voters to run the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
- Fun fact: He starred in the crime TV series, "I Am Homicide."
18. Ken Joyner, County Assessor
Salary: $243,916.18
Job description: Lists, appraises and assesses properties in Mecklenburg County.
19. Yulonda Griffin, director of the Department of Community Resources
Salary: $233,604.01
Job description: Community Resources is another one of four departments inside the Health and Human Services Agency. It includes child support services.
20. James Yeager, sr. deputy attorney
Salary: $233,509.96
Job description: In the internal legal office, Yeager falls under the county attorney.