Judge Rejects Challenge to Pension Hikes for Top County Officials

A Superior Court judge Monday rejected a bid by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. to overturn controversial Los Angeles County public employee pension plan rules that will cost more than $265 million.

Siding with county lawyers, who asked for a ruling before the trial began, Judge David A. Workman found that even if the taxpayer group’s allegations of back-room dealings are true, there would be no remedy in the courts.

Still, the judge gave the Jarvis group 30 days to amend its complaint and return to court for another chance to make its case.

Roger M. Whitby, senior assistant county counsel, had defended the county’s decision to include the value of health insurance and other fringe benefits as compensation in calculating pension benefits.

He added that county officials had the discretion to make the decision without a vote of the Board of Supervisors.

But Joel Fox, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., said the judge’s ruling means “that no one is responsible for the taxpayers’ money.”

Fox and his attorneys said that had they been allowed to proceed with a trial, they were prepared to prove that the huge increase in pension benefits for senior county managers and elected officials was adopted without any official action.

Fox said he will name other county officials in an amended complaint and return to court within a month.