According to pay data collected by State Controller John Chiang, in 2010 former Santa Ana City Attorney Joseph Fletcher was the second highest paid city employee behind former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo. Fletcher retired at the end of 2010 with a golden parachute of $142,080 in addition to his $285,000 salary. Fletcher also cashed out months of unused sick and vacation pay that was inflated beyond what he would have normally received due to retroactive enhancements to his contract.
Former City Manager David Ream left in 2011 cashing out months of sick and vacation time in addition to regular salary and benefits. Subsequent to Ream’s departure, the city discovered a $30 million hole in its budget.
Recent reports identify Santa Ana’s Interim City Manager Paul Walters as the highest paid in Orange County.
The Orange County Register’s Terri Sforza has more details here.
You know what sucks about these pay reports? These top management people are paid a salary and not a wage, they are paid for the job, not by the hour.
So if they take a long week-end or don’t show up for work, they still get paid their salary.
Extra holiday pay, sick pay, vacation pay. These are never used, because they get their salary weather they work from the office, home, restaurant, bar, another government office, or off site meeting.
These are cream topping on top of great salaries, sold to the rank and file as normal because that is what and how the hourly are paid.
The last line of defense for the residents are their elected council, elected from the masses, to stand up to these abuses and to say “No More”.
Don’t expect the cities management to protect the people, they are on the “good time roll”
Think about it. A retired President of the United States pay is $191,300/year as of March, 2008
How the hell does retired city managers, county supervisors, school board superintendents, who are basically low level civil servants get away with higher retirements than the Presidents?