Retired Bell Police Chief’s $288,000 pension tops CalPERS list of Los Angeles-area city retirees
Today, TransparentCalifornia.com released previously-unseen 2015 pension payout data from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS).
The over 625,000 records — obtained via a public records request — reveal that former Bell Police Chief Randy Adams $288,378 payout was the largest received by any CalPERS retiree from a Los Angeles city last year.
Former Los Angeles workers were also represented in the top 3 regular pensions paid to all CalPERS members statewide, excluding those who received a one-time settlement payout.
Top 3 CalPERS payouts statewide
- Michael Johnson, former Solano County administrator: $388,408
- Stephen Maguin, former Los Angeles County Sanitation District GM: $340,811
- Joaquin Fuster, former UCLA professor: $338,412
Retirement costs at LA-cities highest statewide
El Monte’s retirement costs for safety officers are now at 62 percent of pay, the highest rate statewide, with a 38 percent contribution rate for non-safety workers, the 4th highest statewide.
The highest contribution rate for non-safety workers was also found in Los Angeles County, with Santa Fe Springs now sending 47 cents per dollar of pay to CalPERS.
Inglewood experienced the largest year over year increase in retirement costs, with their safety and non-safety rate increasing 20 and 24 percent, respectively.
As taxpayer costs continue to climb it is more important than ever that the public has complete, accurate information as to how their money is being spent, according to Transparent California’s research director Robert Fellner.
“Defined benefit plans like CalPERS are inherently opaque, which limits the public’s ability to accurately assess its generosity and cost. Transparent California provides complete information so that taxpayers can have a better sense of how their money is being spent.”
Los Angeles cities with the highest pensions
The Los Angeles cities with at least 20 full-career retirees that had the highest average full-career pensions for safety retirees were:
- El Segundo: $131,973, which was the second highest statewide
- El Monte: $129,215, which was the third highest statewide
- Pasadena: $126,877, which was the sixth highest statewide
The Los Angeles cities with at least 20 full-career retirees that had the highest average full-career pensions for non-safety retirees were:
- Santa Fe Springs: $99,993, which was the third highest statewide
- Hawthorne: $92,376, which was the eighth highest statewide
- Downey: $88,708, which was eleventh highest statewide
To view the entire dataset in a searchable and downloadable format, visit TransparentCalifornia.com.
A full-career is defined as at least 30 years of service.
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 of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a nonpartisan, free-market think tank. Learn more at TransparentCalifornia.com.
