San Antonio Water System’s board of trustees signed off on a $133,254.06 bonus for President and CEO Robert Puente Tuesday as part of the deferred compensation package it approved for him in 2021.
Puente’s base pay is $593,838 per year, raised by 15% last year from $516,381. Prior to that, his last raise came in August 2020 when he got a 4% pay bump to what was then a salary of $496,520. Puente has been at the helm of SAWS since 2008, following a successful political career in which he served in the Texas House of Representatives.
Puente will have to stay on as the leader of the water utility for another year before he can access his bonus funds. In 2022, he was awarded roughly $100,000 toward the account and last year he was granted $94,000. Salary and bonus recommendations came in conjunction with two consultants: Williams Consulting Partners on CEO performance and OneDigital/Paradox on compensation, said SAWS Communications Director Anne Hayden.
SAWS Chairwoman Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison said she and the other trustees were exceptionally pleased with Puente’s performance in 2023, noting he helped lead the utility through a particularly difficult period that saw extreme challenges due to the severe drought.
“We think he had a very successful year,” she said. “It was a tough year for us. With all of the drought issues and the significant main breaks and trying to be responsive and have our customers understand the severity of the issues. It was tough and even with all of that, the employees really came together and they responded and supported Mr. Puente.”
Puente said he is humbled by the approval of his staff and the trustees.
“It always feels great to be recognized by your bosses that you’re doing a good job,” he told reporters after Tuesday’s board meeting. “It truly is a matter of getting the right team in place.”
