Agency to audit Adams’ pay as police chief in Bell

A spokesman for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System said Thursday that the agency plans to audit the city of Bell to ensure the record-high salaries being paid to top city officials fall within established guidelines.

The small working-class city of Bell has been embroiled in controversy since last week when the L.A. Times reported that City Manager Robert Rizzo earns nearly $800,000 annually, while former Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams makes $457,000 as the top cop there.

“We have some serious concerns about these issues in the city of Bell and we actually are going to be auditing the city around the salaries and potential pensions,” said CalPERS spokesman Brad Pacheco.

The announcement comes on the same day the Bell City Council will reportedly meet to discuss seeking resignations from the top executives.

Eeven if they resign, Rizzo and Adams would reportedly be eligible for some of the highest pensions in the state.

Rizzo, 55, would be entitled to a $659,252-a-year pension for the rest of his life, according to retirement calculations made by The Times that were reviewed by pensions experts. Adams could be eligible for roughly $400,000 per year.

But Pacheco said his agency plans to determine whether the pensions can stand.

“We will look at it closer and look at if the compensation is pensionable,” he said.