Survey: Judge is highest paid city employee in Surprise

Dominguez earns city's top spot by passing city manager

In most cities with a council-manager form of government, the city manager leads the pack of employees in annual salary.

That is usually the case in Surprise, too. But not anymore.

These days, it pays to work in the city court.

Presiding Judge Louis Frank Dominguez, who is one of the longest-serving municipal court judges in Maricopa County, is the highest paid Surprise city employee in Independent Newsmedia’s latest compilation of salaries of city workers across the Valley. He is also one of two judges among the five-highest paid city employees.

In his 12th year with Surprise, Dominguez is earning $325,145, which is about a 36% increase from the last time the Independent checked salaries two years ago. This spring, the city coun