Report to Mayor and City Council
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
UPDATE ON RESPONSE LETTER FROM CALPERS REGARDING FORMER CITY CLERK JIM DEAR'S PENSION SPIKE
Body
I. SUMMARY
Former City Clerk Jim Dear held the position of City Clerk for approximately one year before being recalled from office on February 23, 2016, and leaving office on March 14, 2016. While holding the position of City Clerk, Mr. Dear received a salary of $122,916, an increase of more than $100,000 from his previous position as Mayor. This 440% pay increase also had a proportional effect on his pension, since his pension is based on his highest 12 months of salary. Staff estimated that as a result of his salary increase, Mr. Dear would earn an additional $1,000,000 in pension payouts over a 20-year retirement.
During the same time that Mr. Dear was receiving this salary increase and accruing the consequent spike in his pension, Mr. Dear was also engaged in misconduct that resulted in an official censure by the City Council and likely contributed to his recall, including conduct evidencing racial animus and bias in decision making, conduct undermining the integrity of city governance, and conduct that created and fostered a hostile work environment. Moreover, during his tenure in office, according to reports by City staff, Mr. Dear intentionally decreased his own work load by delegating all substantive tasks to supporting staff members, and maintaining only basic ceremonial tasks for himself.
Since Mr. Dear was an elected official, the City Council was limited in its ability to discipline Mr. Dear beyond officially censuring him. Consequently, at the City Council meeting on January 19, 2016, the City Council directed City Manager Ken Farfsing to request that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Public Integrity Division examine any and all criminal violations based on former City Clerk Jim Dear's actions and his own statements that he ran for office to increase...
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