How can you justify new police chief’s salary?

I just read the following article in a recent edition of the Salt Lake Tribune (www.sltrib.com/news/5397484-155/moab-hires-away-salt-lake-county) and noted the following paragraph:

“The sheriff on Tuesday evening was confirmed, 5-0, by the Moab City Council to become the bustling tourist city’s new police chief, effective July 1. The council vote authorized City Manager David Everitt to negotiate a contract and a base salary of up to $150,000 for Winder, which would nearly match his $151,563 base salary as sheriff. The salary range for Moab police chief tops out at $132,273.”

A recent census from 2010 sets the population of Salt Lake County at over 1 million. The city of Moab’s population was 5,046 and Grand County’s total was 9,225.

Though the new chief of police is highly qualified, how can you justify his proposed salary with his very reduced duties? Nice early retirement for him at our taxpayers’ expense.

Even if the Moab City Police Department was merged with the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, you wouldn’t even come near the total population served in Salt Lake County. Has this ever been discussed?

In addition, the serious crime rate in Moab doesn’t come anywhere near the level of Salt Lake County’s. See the above Salt Lake Tribune article link.

Scratching my head…