Citing pension costs, Costa Mesa, Calif., plans to lay off nearly half its employees

Pensions, by the numbers

According to city figures, for every dollar the city pays a police officer or firefighter, it must also set aside more than 40 cents to fund the employee’s pension. For every dollar paid a general employee, it must set aside 27 cents.

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The average Costa Mesa police officer earned $105,000 in base overtime and certification pay in 2010, according to city records. The average firefighter earned $109,000 in base, overtime and certification pay last year.

City Council members say the rising costs of pensions compelled them to issue the layoff notices. The idea is to outsource many of the functions of city government to private firms or other governments. Firefighting, for example, could be contracted out to Orange County at a savings of millions of dollars. Private firms could take up payroll services and street sweeping. Police services are not currently slated for outsourcing.

Among those receiving pink slips Thursday was city building technician Huy Pham, 29. About an hour later, Pham plunged to his death from the top of the city’s Civic Center.

“We’re trying to understand the circumstances that led to it,” Lt. Bryan Glass said, according to the Associated Press. Relatives and others said Pham had not seemed suicidal anytime recently, the AP reported.

Although union leaders acknowledge the burden the rising costs of pensions has placed on the city, they note that they have offered to close the gap. Last year, the police and firefighters agreed to contribute 5 percent and 6 percent of their pay, respectively, to fund pensions. General employees agreed to raise their pension contributions by 4 percent.

“For three years we’ve given them every concession they’ve needed,” said Folsom, the city mechanic. He made $68,000 last year, according to city records. “We worked it out. This time, they’re just giving us the pink slips.”

Pyle, of the fire department, said the union was willing to make more concessions. He even called the City Council’s vote to raise pension benefits “a bad decision” because of its financial implications.

But the firefighters and police are angry, too, because they feel that their role in the city has been unfairly minimized by those seeking to restrict their compensation.

“If you agree to being spit on, bit, or have blood or fecal matter carrying the AIDS virus or hepatitis thrown at you, or have someone attempt to stab you with a knife or use your own sidearm to kill you, or simply run you down with a car, then the risk and dangers of a 30-year career in law enforcement justify an appropriate retirement,” said Jason Chamness, a police officer who earned $108,000 in base, overtime and certification pay last year and the president of the Costa Mesa police officers association.

But Righeimer says he is only asking the tough question.

“These are good, hardworking people, and to characterize them any differently is wrong,” Righeimer said. “The issue is . . . so how much?”