The recent Kent city promotions of Patrick Fitzpatrick to chief administrative officer and Tammy White to city attorney resulted in a 22% pay hike for White and an 8.4% increase for Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick is making the same base annual salary of $223,665 as the previous CAO Derek Matheson, according to information received by the Kent Reporter after a public records request to the city of Kent.

Prior to becoming interim CAO, Fitzpatrick worked as Kent’s city attorney. He received an annual salary of $206,404, according to city records. As CAO, Fitzpatrick will make $17,261 more per year, an 8.4% hike.

Mayor Dana Ralph promoted Fitzpatrick in August to CAO after he worked as interim CAO following Matheson’s decision in March to leave Kent to become the Fife city manager.

When Ralph became mayor in 2018 she promoted Fitzpatrick to city attorney from deputy city attorney to replace the retiring Tom Brubaker. Fitzpatrick had been the deputy city attorney since 2002. He previously worked for Kent as chief prosecutor, civil attorney and interim human resources director.

Ralph promoted Deputy City Attorney White to replace Fitzpatrick as city attorney. White is making $206,404 per year, the same amount Fitzpatrick received. As deputy city attorney, White made $169,236 per year. White will receive $37,168 more per year, an increase of 22%.

White, who was promoted in 2018 to deputy city attorney, has worked in both the prosecution and civil divisions of the City Attorney’s Office. She previously held the positions of paralegal, prosecutor and civil attorney with the city of Kent.

City officials didn’t release the salary of Fitzpatrick or White when it announced the promotions in August.