By Jay Litten, Town Manager
In our annual budget guide, we used to show the “Miller Metric,” a salary comparison of Bridgewater’s top management compared to other Virginia towns above 5,000.* We haven’t done it for the last two years, because it didn’t seem like anyone read it. (Plus, if I’m being totally honest, nobody likes to have their salary bandied about.)
Last week, though, a person called and made a FOIA request for my salary and Alex’s. That’s fine, of course, and it also told us that there was at least one person out there who might want to see the whole Miller Metric.
So here it is, presented in honor of John Leigh Miller, the Bridgewater legend who passed away in 2023. Mr. Miller always pored over the salary data in our budget guide and frequently commented on it in the budget hearing.
* 5,000 is the population threshold at which towns have the most responsibilities.
Note 1: I set the salaries for the Assistant Managers, the Treasurer, and the Police Chief, under the Council’s guidance. The Council sets my salary.
| Town Name | Town Manager |
|---|---|
| Leesburg | $ 276,718 |
| Vienna | $ 251,067 |
| Herndon | $ 244,781 |
| Blacksburg | $ 235,775 |
| Dumfries | $ 230,000 |
| Culpeper | $ 221,146 |
| Bridgewater | $ 219,973 |
| Christiansburg | $ 186,433 |
| Vinton | $ 185,431 |
| Purcellville | $ 185,000 |
| Warrenton | $ 176,000 |
| Pulaski | $ 168,096 |
| Strasburg | $ 161,040 |
| Bedford | $ 159,113 |
| Farmville | $ 158,000 |
| Bluefield | $ 155,000 |
| Smithfield | $ 146,082 |
| Front Royal | $ 145,018 |
| Abingdon | $ 144,953 |
| Marion | $ 135,000 |
| Wytheville | $ 135,000 |
| Ashland | $ 133,750 |
| Orange | $ 133,198 |
| Woodstock | $ 129,792 |
| Big Stone Gap | $ 122,282 |
Note 2: You’d have to ask the Council why my salary is what it is, but I suspect they would say something about the legal work we can do in-house, as opposed to sending it to outside counsel.
| Town Name | Assistant Town Manager |
|---|---|
| Leesburg | $ 228,993 |
| Vienna | $ 201,483 |
| Purcellville | $ 169,578 |
| Dumfries | $ 160,000 |
| Blacksburg | $ 157,353 |
| Christiansburg | $ 154,442 |
| Vinton | $ 142,000 |
| Strasburg | $ 139,049 |
| Front Royal | $ 133,682 |
| Abingdon | $ 123,480 |
| Smithfield | $ 119,600 |
| Wytheville | $ 116,307 |
| Ashland | $ 111,475 |
| Woodstock | $ 110,063 |
| Bridgewater | $ 105,375 |
| Marion | $ 102,637 |
| Orange | $ 101,436 |
| Culpeper | $ 101,372 |
| Town Name | Police Chief |
|---|---|
| Leesburg | $ 229,019 |
| Vienna | $ 213,867 |
| Herndon | $ 206,974 |
| Culpeper | $ 168,639 |
| Warrenton | $ 158,904 |
| Purcellville | $ 158,875 |
| Blacksburg | $ 158,063 |
| Christiansburg | $ 153,900 |
| Dumfries | $ 142,735 |
| Ashland | $ 134,438 |
| Vinton | $ 129,162 |
| Smithfield | $ 125,979 |
| Front Royal | $ 125,195 |
| Woodstock | $ 123,372 |
| Bedford | $ 121,380 |
| Strasburg | $ 120,753 |
| Pulaski | $ 116,052 |
| Abingdon | $ 110,000 |
| Farmville | $ 109,973 |
| Wytheville | $ 107,835 |
| Bridgewater | $ 105,375 |
| Marion | $ 104,644 |
| Orange | $ 94,500 |
| Bluefield | $ 91,800 |
| Big Stone Gap | $ 91,786 |
| Town Name | Treasurer |
|---|---|
| Leesburg | $ 215,110 |
| Herndon | $ 203,984 |
| Culpeper | $ 182,344 |
| Purcellville | $ 181,891 |
| Vienna | $ 175,134 |
| Warrenton | $ 168,829 |
| Blacksburg | $ 164,448 |
| Dumfries | $ 147,500 |
| Christiansburg | $ 139,782 |
| Ashland | $ 139,588 |
| Strasburg | $ 120,753 |
| Farmville | $ 120,011 |
| Smithfield | $ 115,905 |
| Bedford | $ 110,444 |
| Vinton | $ 110,000 |
| Abingdon | $ 105,473 |
| Bridgewater | $ 105,375 |
| Marion | $ 103,000 |
| Pulaski | $ 98,772 |
| Woodstock | $ 98,577 |
| Wytheville | $ 91,520 |
| Big Stone Gap | $ 80,420 |
| Orange | $ 78,983 |
| Bluefield | $ 77,000 |