May 2, 2017 -- Employee pay and benefits at Santa Monica City Hall grew at more than double the rate of inflation for metropolitan Los Angeles since 2012, according to data released by a statewide watchdog group Monday.

The data obtained by Transparent California through public information requests show the city's payroll costs climbed 16 percent in four years to reach more than $303 million in 2016.

The 2016 data show 1,380 full-time employees receiving pay and benefits of $100,000 or more, or two-thirds of the 1,838 full-time employees on the payroll. The median household income in Santa Monica is $74,534 annually.

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