HUNTINGTON BEACH : Pension-Spiking ‘Cover-Up’ Alleged
A resident who has been a frequent critic of “pension spiking” by city employees called on the City Council this week to avoid the appearance of a “cover-up” and make public the names of all personnel who may benefit from the controversial procedure.
“Spiking” is the practice that allows public employees to increase their pensions by inflating their actual salaries through unused vacation days and other means.
Bill Mello, a resident who has devoted many hours to studying public documents and computing the effects of spiking, told the City Council Monday night that he believes 153 city employees stand to benefit from pension spiking.
Mello said that City Atty. Gail C. Hutton has refused to release the names of the 153 employees on the grounds that such disclosure would violate their privacy. But in his remarks to the council during the public-comment session, Mello charged that the real reason the city is not disclosing the employees’ names is because “the spikers are ashamed.”
Mello urged the City Council to remove the city attorney from “all issues that deal with employee compensation.” He also asked the city to “stop the cover-up” and release the names of employees who may benefit from pension spiking.
No one on the council responded to Mello’s requests or accusations.
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