Are they worth it?

They may not be as well-compensated as Nicole Kidman (she earned close to $1 million for each minute of a Chanel perfume commercial) or President Bush ($400,000 a year), but these Los Angeles civic officials earn nearly as much as or more than members of Congress ($162,500) or Vice President Dick Cheney ($212,000). We compare salaries and selected perks.

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Antonio Villaraigosa

Mayor of Los Angeles

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Salary: $205,661 | Perk: Villaraigosa can live rent-free in the official mayoral residence, a Tudor-style mansion in Hancock Park. | Note: The mayor’s salary is comparable to that of New York City’s mayor, except that New York’s Michael R. Bloomberg accepts only a token $1 a year. If he didn’t, he’d be collecting about $195,000 annually.

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David L. Brewer

Incoming superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District

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Salary: $300,000 | Perk: Brewer will receive a monthly housing allowance of $3,000. | Note: The highest-paid school official in New York City -- Chancellor Joel I. Klein -- earns $250,000 annually. Arne Duncan, chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools, earns $194,688.

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Eric Garcetti

President of the Los Angeles City Council

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Salary: $158,201 | Perk: As a City Council member, Garcetti got to choose his ride from a fleet of city cars or opt for a $500-a-month car allowance. | Note: Members of the L.A. City Council are the highest paid in the country, and along with other elected city officials, expect a raise soon. New York City’s council members make do with a base salary of $90,000.

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William J. Bratton

Los Angeles Police Chief

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Salary: $279,834 | Perk: For his move to Los Angeles, Bratton received a one-time relocation bonus of $9,000 and six months of paid housing. | Note: Bratton was earning more than $500,000 a year as a private consultant before becoming police chief.

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Lydia Kennard

Executive director of Los Angeles World Airports

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Salary: $298,313 | Perk: The typical vacation package for general managers affords Kennard three to four weeks off a year. | Note: The airport chief is the second-highest paid head of a city department. Ron Deaton, general manager of the Department of Water and Power, earns more than $320,000.

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(All Los Angeles salaries are as of July 1, 2006, except for Brewer’s, who agreed to his salary in a contract Oct. 30.)