Long Beach to Audit Payouts to Police Duo

The City of Long Beach will audit the retirement payments of two police officers – Lt. Jim McCormack and Det. Sgt. Howard Domitz – that are expected to cost a collective $1,094,324 million, but the city’s police union contends the officers are contractually entitled to receive that money.   

Both officers, who joined the Long Beach Police Department in 1978 and retired this year, are granted money for unused sick, vacation and compensatory time under the city’s payout retirement plan, and city officials plan to ask the officers to take retirement payments over three years instead of the typical 60 days in an effort to reduce substantial future retirement payouts, according to Newsday. Councilman John McLaughlin said:

“Auditing something like that will not only double-check the numbers, and verify the numbers, but it will also make people realize we have to find a way to cap their compensation packages.”

Police union president Kenny Apple said the officers are not required to negotiate a different payout plan.

Last November, the City Council approved two resolutions to borrow money, short-term budget notes for $2.5 million to cover retirement payouts for three senior police officials — including a $500,000 lump sum payment to outgoing Commissioner Thomas Sofield Sr. — and a short-term $1.7 million tax anticipation note to cover a shortfall in payroll for December. 

In March, City Manager Jack Schnirman announced that a more than $10 million deficit, or about 12 percent of the overall budget, is projected for the current fiscal year. Meanwhile, LBPD police officers have worked without a new contract since June 30, 2008.