Thousand Oaks Told It Must Reveal Bonuses

The amounts of annual performance bonuses given to top-level Thousand Oaks city employees, and the reasons the bonuses were awarded, are subject to public disclosure, the state attorney general’s office concluded in an opinion issued Thursday.

Since late 1980, the Ventura County city has awarded annual bonuses to the city manager, city attorney and certain department heads, based on how well they met performance goals set earlier in each year. The bonuses can total up to 20% of the employees’ salaries.

About 20 months ago, a group of community activists asked the city for details of the bonuses.

The City Council disclosed the amounts of bonuses given the city attorney and city manager, but refused to release such information for department heads. Richard Booker, a member of the group that requested the information, said the city also disclosed that about $300,000 in bonuses had been awarded since the program’s inception.

Council members had argued that disclosure of performance evaluations and individual awards to department heads could embarrass those who received less money than others. They said the integrity of the evaluation process could be jeopardized.

The opinion written by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rodney O. Lilyquist, which carries some legal weight but is not binding on the city, rejected the council’s position. Lilyquist wrote that public disclosure, instead of embarrassing those given small bonuses, could spur them to work harder.

Lilyquist said disclosure of details of the bonus program is legal under the California Public Records Act and would not invade the privacy of city officials.

Thousand Oaks officials withheld comment pending their examination of the opinion.

But Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Meyers said the opinion “may have some far-reaching implications” because “a number of municipalities are involved in incentive bonuses.”