Patterson bill limits pay to AZ Commerce Auth. CEO

Brewer with her man Don 'take the money & run' Cardon.

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Rep. Daniel Patterson, D-Tucson, introduced a bill Thursday that would limit the salary of the CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority.

This follows the resignation Wednesday of Don Cardon, who grossed $300,000 annually as CEO of the authority. Cardon’s earnings also included a signing bonus of $50,000, a $1,000 per month vehicle allowance, a $50,000 retention bonus and a $30,000 a year supplemental allowance (see Arizona Republic story).

“Middle-class Arizona families are struggling to make ends meet, but Gov. Brewer gave away their tax dollars to fund her friend’s excessive salary,” Patterson said. “We need to hire the best and most dedicated person for this job, but our kids’ schools are crumbling, and many hard-working Arizonans don’t have health care and Cardon’s sweet deal was too much.”

HB 2309, Patterson’s bill, would limit the salary of the authority’s CEO to not exceed twice the governor’s salary, which is currently $95,000.

Cardon became the head of the authority in August 2011, when the governor revamped the then-Department of Commerce and privatized it.