June 25--A California pension board's decision to slash the retirement benefits of former Bell Police Chief Randy Adams because his salary was not approved in public will serve as a precedent for other cases in which government officials receive hidden pay, the panel has announced.
An administrative law judge had ruled earlier that Adams' pension would be based on his previous salary as Glendale police chief rather than the $457,000 in annual pay he received from Bell. In effect, the finding cut Adams' retirement income by more than half.
The board of the California Public Employees' Retirement System said in a statement this week that the Adams decision, as a precedent, "can be officially cited in court, in other administrative proceedings, and may be applied broadly to other cases."
"To be the basis for a pension, a public official's salary must be readily available to the public," the board said.
Adams originally sought an annual pension of $510,000. Instead, he is receiving $235,000.
He was ousted in 2010 after Times reports on extravagant salaries paid to Bell officials touched off a scandal in the working-class town. Former City Manager Robert Rizzo, his top assistant and six City Council members were prosecuted on corruption charges. One council member was acquitted.
Adams was not charged.
Attempts to reach him for comment Thursday were not immediately successful.
