Five former administrators for the city of Bell, California, two of whom resigned following the city’s salary inflation scandal, are suing the city for pensions and benefits.
Luis Ramirez and Annette Peretz say that the city owes them for pensions under the supplemental retirement plan (SRP), along with medical, dental and vision benefits, Courthouse News reports.
“The City of Bell is seeking to terminate plaintiffs vested rights in the SRP which were agreed to be provided as part of the plaintiffs compensation package of employment,” the complaint says.
Dayna Marroquin, Lisa Rowe and Xavier Vargas are also plaintiffs in the complaint.
Ramirez and Peretz resigned from their posts as Deputy Engineer and director of community services in October, 2010, after revelations that public officials in the city were inflating their salaries with tax dollars. Luis Ramirez was being paid $247,573 a year at the time of his retirement, and Peretz was banking $273,542. Neither has been charged in connection with the scandal.
Former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia, who was making around $376,000 a year, and former Bell city manager Robert Rizzo, whose salary amounted to almost $800,000, have also sued the city for back pay and benefits. Both have been charged with fraud and misappropriation of public funds.
