San Jose Paying Big Bucks to Employees. Cash-outs of sick leave by San Jose government employees cost taxpayers an additional $7.8 million in 2008, up from $5.5 million in 2007. The San Jose Mercury News notes that this is one-tenth of the city's projected $78 million deficit.
City officials say the benefit exceeds what other jurisdictions are providing, and far exceeds private-sector pay-outs. Employee Relations Director Alex Gurza said, "We are the most generous in sick leave pay-outs among cities."
Some examples:
· Former San Jose Deputy Fire Chief James H. Carter got an extra $285,000 last year – a check that exceeded the total pay of any of the city's top-ranked officials.
· Former Assistant Police Chief Charles Younis, who now serves as chief in Los Altos, collected more than $243,000 on top of his salary and pension. Two other San Jose police officials last year took home checks for more than $200,000 each.
Further, according to the Mercury News, the number of San Jose city employees whose total earnings topped $200,000 nearly doubled from 2007 to 2008, from 37 to 66. In addition, the number of city employees whose total earnings topped $100,000 totaled 2,663 – more than a third of the city's total work force. (Source: San Jose Mercury News, April 12 and 14.)
Cal-Taxletter, April 17, 2009
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