Today, Transparent California released 2014 public employee compensation data — complete with names, pay, and benefits — for 20 of Orange County’s largest special districts, representing over 95 percent of all Orange County special district workers.

The average full-time, year-round Orange County special district worker received $143,582 in total compensation.

The three Orange County special districts with the highest average compensation package for full-time, year-round employees were:

1. Orange County Fire Authority: $213,261
2. Orange County Sanitation District: $159,050
3. Mesa Water District: $142,758

Click here to view this information for all 20 Orange County special districts surveyed.

The three highest-compensated Orange County special district workers were:

1. Orange County Transportation Authority CEO Darrell Johnson: $447,361
2. Foothill Transit Zone executive director Doran Barnes: $438,253
3. Former Orange County Fire Authority division chief Jon Jones: $407,051

Overtime up 25 percent at the Orange County Fire Authority

Overtime expenses at the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) increased 25 percent from $31.2 million in 2013 to $39.2 million in 2014.

OCFA employees had the largest overtime and other pay amounts of any Orange County special district.

The top 3 overtime payouts to Orange County special district workers went to:

1. OCFA fire captain Gregory Bradshaw: $165,063
2. OCFA fire apparatus engineer Mark Rodriguez: $125,840
3. OCFA fire captain Timothy O’Hare: $120,674

The top 3 “other pay” amounts — pay received in addition to regular salary or overtime — for Orange County special district workers went to:

1. Former OCFA assistant chief Laura Blaul: $203,061
2. Cashing in unused leave boosted former OCFA division chief Jon Jones’ other pay to: $136,517.
3. Cashing in unused leave boosted former OCFA division chief Michael Moore’s other pay to: $91,639

Reporting full compensation reveals a growing burden to taxpayers, even absent any overt action to increase government pay, according to Transparent California’s research director Robert Fellner.

“A dangerously underfunded pension fund alongside gold-plated health insurance plans translates to ever-increasing public employee compensation, at taxpayer expense.”

Compensation is defined as total wages plus the employer cost of retirement and health benefits. Full-time employees are defined as those receiving a salary equal or greater to the “annual salary minimum” reported.

With the addition of Orange County’s special district data, Transparent California now has 2014 compensation data from 489 special districts statewide, with additional special district data to be posted in the coming weeks.

To view the entire dataset in a searchable and downloadable format, visit TransparentCalifornia.com

To schedule an interview with Transparent California, please contact Robert Fellner at 559-462-0122 or Robert@TransparentCalifornia.com.

Transparent California is California’s largest and most comprehensive database of public sector compensation and is a project the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a nonpartisan, free-market think tank. Learn more at TransparentCalifornia.com.