The Los Angeles suburb of Vernon is so famous for its history of corruption that it was the municipal star of season two of HBO’s “True Detective” series.
Now the tiny city can claim another achievement: Vernon is the only California city with more public employees than residents.
Vernon’s 210 residents are served by 271 city employees, according to data on the state controller’s website.
No. 2 Irwindale is a distant second – though just a 30-minute drive (could be hours – depends on traffic in L.A.’s tortuous downtown) from Vernon.
In that East Los Angeles County city, there’s one government employee for every one of Irwindale’s 1,415 residents. San Francisco is the only major city on the Top 10, with one government employee for every 22.7 residents.
Here’s the Top 10:
Source: California Controller’s Office.
Public employees in Vernon earn an average of $107,848 (plus benefits of $37,571). That’s much higher than nearby hegemon, Los Angeles, where public employees average $83,356 (plus benefits of $12,620).
Several top Vernon officials earn salaries in excess of $300,000:
- Mark Whitworth (City Administrator): $402,335
- Daniel Calleros (Police Chief): $361,644
- Michael Wilson (Fire Chief): $361,359
- Carlos Fandino Jr. (Director of Gas and Electric): $324,354
- Andrew Guth (Fire Battalion Chief): $304,243
While many of Vernon’s city employees continue to earn six-figure salaries, the average city resident earns far less.
Per capita income in 2010 was $19,973.
Median household income in 2010 was $38,500 – down dramatically from 2000, when it was over $60,000. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 5 percent of the population lived below the federal poverty line. In 2000, it was 0.
How does the city fund that dramatic gap in income?
By taxing utilities for industry in the city. But because Vernon’s utility rates are among the highest in California, many businesses are moving out.
That’s going to put pressure on city officials to trim public services – or to capitulate to the logic of history and become part of a neighboring city. How about Bell?
Mr. McGarry is a fall Journalism Fellow at California Policy Center. Andrew Heritage contributed data analysis. He may be contacted at www.unionwatch.org.
