(The Center Square) – Newly appointed interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles is paid more than former chief Shon Barnes, whose compensation package raised questions when it was first released, Sayles’ contract obtained by The Center Square shows.
On an annual basis, Sayles makes $373,443.20 per year compared to the $361,862 annual salary Barnes received before he resigned in July following the Bite of Seattle shooting. He was asked to resign by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
The Center Square has previously reported that Barnes received more than $100,000 in taxpayer dollars to take the role in 2025. Although his contract required he remain in the role for five years to keep the hiring bonus, Wilson’s Office told The Center Square he was allowed to keep it as part of his severance package. In total, Barnes received $700,000 as part of his severance package.
While the Mayor’s Office is defending Sayles’ salary, Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams told The Center Square that the salaries in the Seattle police department are more than taxpayers should be funding.
“It’s alarming to see that, whether it’s a police chief or anybody in city or any sort of government, making more than $300,000,” he said after The Center Square told him about the contract. “That is a drain on the budget, on the resources, and that is money that isn’t going towards policing, going towards safety, and you’re also increasing the baseline of all agency heads’ salaries.
“This is not just a current year problem,” he added. “This is a future problem. There should be no signing bonus for any public servant. There should be a salary, and that salary should be reasonable, fiscally responsible, and if the city truly cared about public safety, they would lower the salary and provide incentives for either the interim or the full-term police chief to make the city safer. An interim police chief that’s making more than $300,000 – what is that going to say about the full-time police chief that may be coming in and what his incentives and what his salary will be?”
The Center Square reached out to the Mayor’s Office, Councilmembers Sara Nelson and Maritza Rivera, and the Seattle Police Officers Guild requesting interviews to discuss the contract.
In a statement, Wilson’s Communications Director Dawn Schellenberg wrote in an email that “the Seattle Human Resources standard salary recommendation for an interim department director appointment, where the interim is performing the full scope of work of the prior incumbent, is that the interim be compensated at the same rate as the prior incumbent. Hence, interim Chief Sayle is being compensated at the same rate as Chief Barnes. It is important to note that we use the ‘Out of Class’ mechanism to appoint individuals to an interim role. While an individual is serving, they do not receive director-level benefits.”
Schellenberg also wrote that the city’s human resource department has used the “Westcoast 7” standard for executive salaries.
“The current posted range for the Seattle Police Chief is $234,294 to $374,900,” Schellenberg wrote. “Based on current rates in the Westcoast 7, the posted salary range is competitive.”
The Police Guild did not respond, while Nelson declined to comment. Rivera’s legislative aide told The Center Square she would be unable to comment on the contract.