Bonuses for Fresno City Leaders Spark Controversy

FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin has handed out $200,000 out in bonuses since the 2014 budget year.

The largest bonus of $56,000 over two budget years went to City Manager Bruce Rudd, while Police Chief Jerry Dyer was given $20,000.

In statement released to KMJ News, Swearengin says, “We are extremely fortunate and blessed to have people like Bruce Rudd and Jerry Dyer remain committed to serving the people of Fresno. Both the city manager and the police chief, and a handful of other senior leaders in our city, are dramatically underpaid for a city the size of Fresno. We have tried to make it up as best we can with annual bonuses, but even with the bonuses, these folks are still underpaid when comparing them to other cities our size in California.”

International Union of Operating Engineers AFL-CIO/Stationary Engineers Local 39 Representative Marina Magdaleno says, “I’m not happy; our folks haven’t ever received any kind of a pay increase since 2011. In 2014, they gave up 4$ to help financially, and then we find out that they’re giving themselves these big bonuses, and it’s not fair.”

The council approved the Transparency in City Government Act in 2010, which requires employee earnings to be posted online.

However, council members and union leaders say they were unaware of the bonuses.

City spokesman Mark Standriff says the bonuses were part of contracts, which council members approved.