Bonuses shrink for public CEOs

In years past it seemed that executive pay was on a ceaseless upward trajectory, but the past year wasn’t like any other.

Public company executives face scrutiny not only from a board of directors but also from shareholders. Nationally, a number of executives are facing pay cuts as their firms see negative earnings reports, layoffs and pay reductions at the lower levels of employment.

Companies operating on a typical fiscal year most likely set the pay levels for executives long before the economy took a nosedive, though some firms have already taken steps to rein in pay.

Of Northern Colorado’s local…