Politics & Government
How Do Laguna Niguel's Public Salaries Stack Up?
The city manager's total compensation package is $333,823—not the highest in the county, but far from the lowest.
Laguna Niguel's compensation packages for the City Council and city manager are not out of line with those of the rest of Orange County's cities, an O.C. grand jury report shows.
City Manager Tim Casey's total compensation package—salary and benefits—is $333,823. Laguna Hills' city manager is the highest paid, and Villa Park's is the lowest.
Laguna Hills:
Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Salary-$233,592
- Benefits-$144,835
- Total-$378,427
Laguna Niguel:
- Salary-$226,200
- Benefits-$107,623
- Total-$333,823
Villa Park:
Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Salary-$120,000
- Benefits-$65,045
- Total-$185,045
As for city councils, Irvine's compensation is the highest. Villa Park does not compensate its council members. But of the cities that do pay their members, Laguna Woods had the lowest figure.
Irvine:
- Salary-$21,120
- Benefits-$26,976
- Total-$48,096
Laguna Niguel:
- Salary-$4,800
- Benefits-$16,004
- Total-$20,804
Laguna Woods:
- Salary-$3,600
- Benefits-$0
- Total-$3,600
Compensation packages for city council members and city managers included pay in lieu of time off, pension contributions, auto allowances, insurance premiums, bonus pay, deferred compensation and fees.
The grand jury found that the way salaries are reported by city websites is inconsistent and needs improvement. It gave Laguna Niguel a grade of D for its level of content and C's for clarity and accessibility.
Compensation packages for Laguna Niguel's public servants are listed on the city's website. The city's response to the grand jury findings can be found on the site.
