KSL INVESTIGATES

KSL Investigates: Are Taxpayers Getting Soaked By Water District Salaries?

Nov 1, 2018, 10:15 PM | Updated: May 21, 2023, 4:01 pm

WEST JORDAN, Utah — A little-known network of government agencies pay some of the highest salaries in the state. In fact, an analysis of compensation records for water districts show one-third of employees earn six-figure pay packages.

The water conservancy districts manage water resources across the state. Trustees and staff are largely un-elected.

Critical resource

Water is critical for homes, industry, and businesses like Glover Nursery in West Jordan.

“Watering is the most important part of a nursery,” said Ryan Glover, general manager of the nursery.

Ryan Glover waters plants at his nursery in West Jordan.

Water is one of his business’s largest bills. Glover admits, however, he has never thought about what the water providers earn.

“I would imagine probably $100,000, $150,000 a year,” said Glover.

Salary analysis

Compensation packages analyzed by the KSL Investigators show Glover’s guess is low.

Records provided by water conservancy districts to the Utah Transparency website show the top five employees earned on average over a quarter million dollars last year. Their compensation packages include benefits like healthcare and sometimes a car.

The KSL salary analysis also found 60 percent of water district employees make more than $68,000 a year, which was the state’s median income in 2017 according to the Census Bureau.

That level of pay outranks Governor Gary Herbert ($190,188) and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes ($187,433). Top water district salaries are more on par with district court judges across the state, who earn around $264,000.

Taxpayers getting soaked?

Billy Hesterman, the vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, said the water salaries are offensive to taxpayers.

“It’s obscene,” said Hesterman. “We don’t understand why someone at this level needs to earn that kind of money.”

“The taxpayers should look at this and go to those districts and ask what are you doing, why do you need so much, and why is this justified?” continued Hesterman.

Man at the top

The KSL Investigators took that question to Richard Bay, the CEO of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District and the top earner on our list.

“I think the public is getting a great bargain for my services,” Bay told us, saying his salary is justified by a variety of factors.

Richard Bay, CEO of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, speaks with KSL Investigator Debbie Dujanovic.

“My abilities to develop and negotiate for new water sources, my ability to oversee the operations and maintenance of hundreds of miles of pipeline,” said Bay.

Bay oversees over 150 employees and said he is on-call at all times, because when users turn on their faucet, they expect the water to flow.

“Every day, every minute, every hour, without fail,” said Bay.

He started out as a staff engineer and worked his way up to the corner office. He has been the CEO for 12 years.

In his first full year as CEO in 2007, his pay package totaled $176,562. It has increased 55 percent in the last decade.

Bay said he helped the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District take on mining giant Kennecott Copper and got it to pay millions more to cleanup polluted groundwater. Kennecott’s money was used to help build reverse osmosis plants, which pull pollutants out of the groundwater and allows the district to tap into that source of water.

Bay said every drop is critical.

“A third of the state lives right here in my service area in the Salt Lake Valley,” said Bay.

Taxpayer accountability

But Hesterman wasn’t convinced.

“This is reaching a level that’s far too high for us,” said Hesterman.

He believes it is too easy for taxpayers to overlook these water conservancy districts and not hold them accountable.

“We often think of school districts, cities, counties, the state, but we forget about this level of government that we have,” said Hesterman.

Taxpayers and ratepayers alike may not forget them anymore. Of the two dozen water conservancy districts analyzed by KSL Investigators, 242 employees, or one-third of the total staff,  earned $100,000 and up.

Compensation packages for all the districts are set by their board of directors. Those boards are generally made up of elected officials, like mayors, and local business people.

MORE FROM KSL INVESTIGATES

KSL Investigates ‘Golden Parachute’ Policy For Elected Officials

Homebuyers Targeted by Sophisticated Billion Dollar Hacking Scheme

KSL Investigates: Moving Nightmare

KSL 5 TV Live

KSL Investigates

Matt Gephardt meeting with Denis Hawkins after a rental car company after they ignored his calls fo...

Matt Gephardt

Get Gephardt helps Spanish Fork man clear up insurance claim for rental car damage

Get Gephardt clears up an international rental car insurance standstill.

21 hours ago

FILE - An airplane flies through the clouds in Salt Lake City. (Jeffrey D. Allred / Deseret News)...

Matt Gephardt

How recent airline incidents are changing habits and impacting airfare costs

After a year of headlines lamenting runway incursions and midair close calls, the wheels may be coming off for the airline industry. Literally.

2 days ago

Josh Kochevar died unexpectedly last month. The unhappy task of writing the obituary fell to his ol...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

How scammers are using counterfeit obituaries to profit off deaths of loved ones

You have probably heard of stories where an empty home was burglarized while everyone was attending a funeral service. Or stories about thieves breaking into cars parked at a funeral. Now, artificial intelligence has opened a new way for crooks to capitalize on grief.

3 days ago

A person scanning a recently generated QR code....

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage, KSL TV

How to protect yourself from fake QR codes scammers use to steal money and info

Here's what you need to know about QR codes and protecting yourself from scammers.

7 days ago

General view outside of the Delta Center ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on March 19,...

Matt Gephardt

NCAA Tournament basketball is coming to Salt Lake and so are the ticket scams

As March Madness excitement ramps up, so do the odds of buying pricey tickets to tournament games that turn out to be fakes or non-existent.

8 days ago

About a year ago, the KSL Investigators went under the hood of some "connected" smart cars to see w...

Matt Gephardt

Internet-connected cars may share driver info with insurance companies, what it means for premiums

some internet-connected vehicles are sharing our driving habits with our insurance companies

9 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

KSL Investigates: Are Taxpayers Getting Soaked By Water District Salaries?