By FireRescue1 Staff
SAN RAMON, Calif. — A watchdog group released data revealing that more than half of a California fire district’s personnel were earning over $300,000 per year.
Transparent California reported that San Ramon Valley Fire District employees were raking in up to $400,000 in earnings, a figure that sparked public outcry.
“Does it make sense that a battalion chief in San Ramon should earn $300,000 … when our governor only earns $180,000 … and our President only earns $400,000,” Jake Weir, with the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, said.
However, Fire Chief Paige Meyers told CBS San Francisco the $300,000 figure includes pensions and benefits.
“So if someone makes $1 we end up spending .90 cents for their pension and we also have the costs of health care,” Chief Meyers said.
Chief Meyers also said such costs are a reason why many firefighters work overtime, and that paying overtime can be cheaper than hiring more personnel.
“We have a very sustainable system. We’re paying all of our unfunded liabilities,” Chief Meyers said. “We’re actually one of the only agencies that I know of in the United States that pays extra toward our unfunded liabilities in retired, medical and pension costs.”