After critics blast move to pay L.A. recovery czar $500,000, he’ll do it for free

Faced with fierce criticism over her chief wildfire recovery officer’s planned salary of $500,000 for 90 days of work, Mayor Karen Bass reversed course Saturday evening and said Steve Soboroff would receive no compensation.

Soboroff’s salary, which would have been funded entirely by charitable organizations, was first reported by The Times early Saturday morning. Soboroff had defended the arrangement, saying his expertise made him worth the price.

After her reversal, Bass said in a statement: “Steve is always there for LA. I spoke to him today and asked him to modify his agreement and work for free. He said yes. We agree that we don’t need anything distracting from the recovery work we’re doing.”

When Bass first tapped Soboroff to step in last month as her wildfire recovery czar, the real estate developer seemed poised to provide a much-needed political lift to a mayor whose initial emergency response had faltered.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-08/critics-assail-decision-to-pay-recovery-czar-500-000-over-90-days