CalPERS $100k club up 11% in Orange County as Newport Beach experiences state’s largest rate hike
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 1,495 Orange County retirees collected an annualized benefit worth at least $100,000, an 11% increase from last year’s report.
The Orange County cities with at least 20 full-career retirees that had the highest average full-career pensions for safety officers were:
- Costa Mesa: $122,870, which was the 12th highest statewide
- Irvine: $119,281, which was the 17th highest statewide
- Newport Beach: $116,326, which was the 23rd highest statewide
Soaring retirement costs
At 60.3 percent of pay, Newport Beach’s retirement costs for safety officers was the 2nd highest statewide — representing a 29 percent year over year increase, the largest statewide. The cost for Newport Beach’s non-safety employees increased 31 percent, also a statewide-high.
Costa Mesa followed closely behind with a 59.7 percent rate for fire officers and 55.6 percent for police officers, the 4th and 6th highest rates. Santa Ana’s 54.4 percent rate for safety officers was the 7th highest of any California city enrolled in CalPERS.
The top 3 payouts to Orange County CalPERS retirees went to:
- David N Ream, former Santa Ana city manager: $263,202
- James Ruth, former Anaheim city manager: $249,851
- Timothy Riley, former Newport Beach fire chief: $244,904
Ream’s benefit was the 17th largest regular benefit of any CalPERS member, excluding those with one-time only settlement amounts. When compared only to other retirees from California cities, Ream, Ruths and Riley’s payouts were 8th, 12th and 15th highest statewide.
Orange County Employees’ Retirement System (OCERS)
TransparentCalifornia.com also recently posted 2015 OCERS payout data.
The top 3 OCERS payouts went to:
- Gary Streed, Sanitation District: $263,545
- Lynn Hartline, Department of Education: $260,427
- Michael Schumacher, Orange County: $259,204
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.”
A full-career is defined as at least 30 years of service.
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.
