Few rules mean hefty payouts for some California public employees

Joanna Lin

Center for investigating reporting

After Greg Johnson was forced to resign as city manager of Indian Wells, he became California’s highest-paid municipal employee for 2011. His severance package included a year’s salary and benefits and about $65,000 in unused vacation, administrative and sick leave. Johnson, whose desert resort town had about 5,000 residents and 39 people on its payroll, took in more than $677,000 that year, compared with his regular annual salary of nearly $255,000.