Monday, November 15, 2010 – 11:25 a.m.
Last Updated: November 16, 2010 – 07:00 a.m.
Tuesday the San Bernadino County Board of Supervisors will honor outgoing county counsel Ruth Stringer with a resolution commending her for 32 years of service to the county.
Even though the board really showed Stringer to the door.
Stringer’s motivation for not wanting to leave now has all to do with one thing. Her pension.
Even though, over time, taking a pension now would far outweigh the increase in percentage.
A pension which has become crystal clear over the past few months.
If Stringer could have served four more years, her retirement percentage would have climbed from an estimated 83.80% t0 100.00% of her pensionable (earnable) compensation.
Nevertheless, Stringer more than likely walks away taking with her a most prestigious honor.
That honor being San Bernardino County’s highest paid retiree.
Yes, it’s true.
Stringer’s updated retirement calculation is as follows:
Base Annual Salary $ 230,110.40
Benefit Plan $ 6,000.00
Supplemental Retirement Allowance $ 11,391.90
Automobile Allowance $ 14,400.00
Vacation Leave Cash-out (Eligible for pension calculation) $ 17,700.80
Administrative Leave (Eligible for pension calculation) $ 8,850.40
Holiday Leave (Eligible for pension calculation) $ 11,391.90
--------------
Earnable Compensation $ 303,244.06
--------------
7% County-paid Retirement Contribution received as cash back $ 21,227.08
--------------
Total Earnable Compensation for retirement purposes $ 324,451.14
Estimated retirement percentage based on age 60 w/ 32 years of service 83.80%
Estimated Annual Pension $ 271,890.05Talk about a windfall.
Also, Stringer will receive additional lump sum payouts of any additional accrued vacation and holiday leave.
Another little nugget in Stringer’s holiday gift bag is the conversion of unused sick leave.
Stringer is estimated to receive the maximum conversion of 1,400 hours of unused sick leave at her current factored hourly rate. The conversion will be deposited into a retiree medical trust.
A trust used to pay for future health costs and insurance premiums.
The estimated “tax-free” retiree medical trust payout to Stringer? A whopping $154,882.00
It should be noted that the San Bernardino County Employees Retirement Association, the county’s retirement system, is fighting a lawsuit brought by the Press-Enterprise newspaper to publicly disclose pension data.
Sources say privately that Stringer is bitter. Especially sources who are on the receiving end of her coldness.
The departure of someone who has cost county taxpayers dearly is always welcome.
The county will likely suffer from Stringer’s decisions for years.
How much will Doreen Boxer and Lauri Ferguson get when they are shown the door? None of these lawyers are worth that much money. Boxer, Ferguson and Stringer have cost the County money due to their poor decision making. How many lawsuits has the County had to defend because of their heavy handed managment?It is time for the CEO/CAO to get rid of them. It is cheaper in the long run. Ramos should go too.
Cut’em lose Greg.
What about buying air time? 5 years?
Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.
Patrick Henry
God speed Ruth, to your crooked legacy!
This is beyond disgusting. The idea of the taxpayers subsidizing this vile, worthless human being for all the years of her incompetence is beyond belief. We can all thank that good for nothing Gary Ovitt for failing to get rid of her when he could have. He is a gutless, corrupt and disgraceful public servant who will go down in local history as one of the most inept, weak chairmen in the history of the county. Thanks also to Mark Kirk, Matt Brown and Worthless Brad.
The sooner these cancers are removed the better.
This is truly astounding that a public servant got rich on the county’s dime. This should be reported to the AG’s office because it’s a crime!
I could understand her getting about $125,000 but over a quarter of a million dollars a year for the rest of her life is insane!
I agree with Anonymous. Let’s report this to the AG and the LA Times. The Sun is nothing more than a lap dog for the Board of Supervisors. I do not intend to vote any presently sitting Board member and I am glad Biane went down to defeat. The rest of the Board members aren’t much better. They are all asleep at the switch if this could happen.
Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting, this is San Berdo, nothing will change in that sewer.
Unfortunately, Governor elect Moonbeam was just using the pay scandal with the City of Bell as a political ploy to advance his campaign. Now that he’s governor this whole thing will just fade away.
Stringer should be run out of town along with that Clown Ovitt. Two of a kind.