Updated: Generous Pensions for Los Gatos Public Employees

Working for Los Gatos public agencies pays off, if you look at data gathered by the Bay Area News Group.

For example, in the Town of Los Gatos, retired public safety employees such as the former Los Gatos-Sereno Police Chief Larry J. Todd and police captains Giordano F. Duino and Theron A. McCarty in 2011 had gross pension amounts of $142,000, $131,000 and $130,000, respectively.

Each has more than 30 years of service for the Town and their pension formulas, as prescribed by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS, is 3 percent of their income at age 50. 

Similarly, retired employees at the , who participate in the California State Teachers Retirement System, are also well compensated for their hard work.

Those with the highest 2011 gross pension amounts in the LGUSD are Suzanne Boxer-Gassman, Charlotte Basinger and Rafael Strudley, each netting $136,600, $124,000 and $118,000, respectively.

Up in the Los Gatos Mountains, the one-school 's Beverlee Seale, Becky Hart and Leroy Dean had 2011 gross pension amounts of $86,00, $55,500 and $42,000, respectively. All three officials have more than 30 years of service with the district.

Last year's gross pension amounts for neighboring retired officials Donald Fox, Sharon Dahnert and Carole Carpenter were $79,700, $74,000 and $71,000, respectively.

The pension amounts have been rounded up or down above, but their exact numbers are included in the table below, all extracted from the BANG public employee salary database.

Calls and emails to human resources officials with the Town of Los Gatos, and the local school districts weren't immediately answered, but we'll update this story as explanations are provided about their retirement systems.

Pension programs for public employees have come under fire recently due to large municipalities like San Jose approving this past primary election reform programs that have irked unions.

The syndicates have reacted by threatening lawsuits.

On Aug. 31, state legislators approved AB340, which will limit public employee pensions in the future, saving billions in retirement spending.

Rumi Portillo, director of human resources for the Town of Los Gatos, said pension reform is coming to all local cities and counties due to passage of the state measure. "We're all going to be subject to it, anyway," Portillo said.

Los Gatos has already taken steps toward pension reform, she explained, passing a second tier of retirement which will apply to new employees who begin working for the town after Sept. 15.

However, due to the new legislation effective Jan. 1, the reforms will affect everyone, she said. Los Gatos' plan is 2.5 percent of their income at age 55 for non-sworn employees and 3 percent of their income at age 50 for sworn employees.

Under the town's new reform program, new non-sworn employees will earn 2 percent of their income at 60, Portillo said.

To see the complete list of salaries for all Los Gatos public agency employees, please click here. The data was compiled by Bay Area News Group.