Salaries at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are "significantly" higher than those paid by other public and private utilities, according to an analysis prepared for city leaders.

With two back-to-back electricity rate increases — 4.9% this year and 6% next year — up for a City Council vote Tuesday, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm has concluded that key employee groups at the DWP earn more and receive health and retirement benefits that appear "more generous than industry norms."

Those conclusions were contained in a 139-page report released last month on the DWP rate increases, which are expected to generate an extra $321 million by June 2014. PA Consulting, which prepared the report, endorsed the rate hikes but also informed the DWP that it needs to look seriously at cutting its personnel costs.

Read more at the LA Times