City Council Election Comes With Benefits

An interesting OC Watchdog report from Teri Sforza in today’s OC Register highlights the extensive, and rather expensive, medical benefits that come with the low pay job of being an elected local government official.

Council members in Laguna Hills and Tustin enjoyed more generous health benefits than just about any other council folk in the state of California last year.

In most places, serving on the city council is a part-time gig. Pay is often low, considering the hours put in:  $7,500 a year in Laguna Hills and $12,700 in Tustin,  according to data from the state controller’s office.

But there’s an often-unseen part of council compensation: The health benefits that cities provide. Those are often worth a great deal more than the council pay itself :

  • In Laguna Hills, that $7,500 job came with health benefits worth more than $30,000.
  • And in Tustin, that $12,700 job came with health benefits worth more than $26,000.

Interesting read.

5 Comments

  1. As official spokeperson of certain members of the Santa Ana Council, I’ve come to believe that you are nothing more than jealous. Just because Sal Tinajero gets 5460 dollars cash instead of medical benefits in addition to a 6000 dollar car allowance plus 1080 dollars in dental benefits and 38.16 dollars in dental benefits even though he and his wife both get benefits from their taxpayer funded day jobs. It cost real money to live in his exclusive gated community and mother and I think you are jealous.

  2. Why am I forced to pay Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero $ 7200 a year in car allowance when he doesn’t attend any neighborhood meetings or events? Why does he get $ 5460 cash instead of medical benefits while also getting medical benefits from his day job as a public school teacher? Why does he get $ 1080 cash instead of dental benefits while also getting dental benefits from his day job as a public school teacher? Why does Santa Ana’s leadership claim to have no money for programs for kids or more police yet finds the money to pay for this waste?

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