• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Cozy Deals Send LA Lifeguard Salaries Soaring While Taxpayers Get Soaked

Cozy Deals Send LA Lifeguard Salaries Soaring While Taxpayers Get Soaked

July 2, 2025
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 26 Years to Life for Killing Grandmother Who Found His Gun

Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 26 Years to Life for Killing Grandmother Who Found His Gun

July 30, 2025
CNBC’s Rick Santelli Touts ‘Better Than Expected’ GDP Numbers Under Trump

CNBC’s Rick Santelli Touts ‘Better Than Expected’ GDP Numbers Under Trump

July 30, 2025
‘He Doesn’t Love This Country’: Bill O’Reilly Torches Chuck Schumer Over Claim Trump’s EU Trade Deal Is ‘Fake’

‘He Doesn’t Love This Country’: Bill O’Reilly Torches Chuck Schumer Over Claim Trump’s EU Trade Deal Is ‘Fake’

July 30, 2025
GOP Pushes to Give Americans $600 Checks from Tariffs

GOP Pushes to Give Americans $600 Checks from Tariffs

July 30, 2025
US Economy Rebounds In Second Quarter Of 2025

US Economy Rebounds In Second Quarter Of 2025

July 30, 2025
Joni Ernst Has Long List Of Taxpayer-Funded Boondoggles She Wants To Place On Trump Admin Chopping Board

Joni Ernst Has Long List Of Taxpayer-Funded Boondoggles She Wants To Place On Trump Admin Chopping Board

July 30, 2025
Trump Answers Questions About Gabbard Report

Trump Answers Questions About Gabbard Report

July 30, 2025
Congressman Tim Burchett Injured After Being Kicked By Horse

Congressman Tim Burchett Injured After Being Kicked By Horse

July 30, 2025
‘Oh, I’m Very Happy’: Latinos Living Along Southern Border Rave Over Trump’s Crackdown

‘Oh, I’m Very Happy’: Latinos Living Along Southern Border Rave Over Trump’s Crackdown

July 30, 2025
Tsunami Waves Hit Hawaii After 8.8 Earthquake Rocks Russia

Tsunami Waves Hit Hawaii After 8.8 Earthquake Rocks Russia

July 30, 2025
Democrat Senator Erupts On Senate Floor Claiming His Party Is ‘Willing To Be Complicit’ With Trump

Democrat Senator Erupts On Senate Floor Claiming His Party Is ‘Willing To Be Complicit’ With Trump

July 30, 2025
Late Rocker Ozzy Osbourne Granted Last Wish: No ‘Mope Fest’

Late Rocker Ozzy Osbourne Granted Last Wish: No ‘Mope Fest’

July 30, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Cozy Deals Send LA Lifeguard Salaries Soaring While Taxpayers Get Soaked

by Daily Caller News Foundation
July 2, 2025 at 9:01 am
in News, Wire
245 7
0
Cozy Deals Send LA Lifeguard Salaries Soaring While Taxpayers Get Soaked
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Daily Caller News Foundation

Over 100 Los Angeles County lifeguards saw a total compensation of $70.8 million last year, with the top earner netting $523,351, a government watchdog group reported on Tuesday.

The lifeguards’ inflated pay was originally investigated by watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com in 2019, when the group found that lifeguards in L.A. County earned wages high above the national average, enjoying lucrative early retirement and health benefits, hefty overtime pay, and leadership taking home hundreds of thousands of dollars, the original report states.

Despite coverage on this reporting from outlets including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Forbes, and Fox, the watchdogs have found that five years later, inflated lifeguard compensation in L.A. County continued to drain taxpayer resources.

An updated 2024 analysis from the watchdogs found that 134 lifeguards earned at least $200,000 in 2024, including benefits, while 34 of the highest earners received $300,000 in compensation packages, according to OpenTheBooks’ new report. Approximately $70.8 million was paid out last year, which also includes base pay, overtime pay, and “other pay” among other benefits.

Lifeguard Services Chief Fernando Boiteux received $523,351 in total compensation, including base pay, additional pay, and benefits, the report finds. Over five years, the top ten lifeguards earning the most overtime collected between $345,000 and $702,000 each, totaling a taxpayer’s payout of $4,782,570 for that group of ten since 2020.

“County lifeguards like Boiteux can retire relatively early at 50, with plenty of time to pursue other professional projects, while collecting defined pension benefits for years to come,” the report states. “Using the conservative end of the scale, at 70% of base pay, a lifeguard with Boiteux’s base pay alone could continue collecting $191,849 for years to come, plus cost of living adjustments, making them potential multimillionaires when all is said and done.”

The Wall Street Journal found in 2021 that lucrative payouts for L.A. County lifeguards were a product of non-competitive contracts and cozy union relations in the city of Santa Monica. The Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association has lobbied the county since 1995, the WSJ reported.

“In 2009 the city of Santa Monica signed a 10-year, $25 million contract with the county for lifeguard services,” according to the outlet. “In 2019 the city extended the contract for five years and $17 million. There were no identified competitors and the contract wasn’t put out for bid.”

Other L.A. city personnel, including emergency workers, also earn wages well above the national average.

A top-compensated LAPD detective earned $603,887 last year, with a staggering $404,875 coming from overtime pay. The Fire Department boasts similar numbers, with their top ten employees each clearing over $500,000 in 2024 and a battalion chief who received $905,060, OpenTheBooks.com CEO John Hart reported in an investigative piece this week.

“Cozy public union relationships, layers of government overreach and red tape have put Californians in a hole,” Hart said. “Digging out will take a fresh approach to resource allocation, focused on efficiency and essential services.”

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Tags: DCNFpoliticsU.S. News
Share196Tweet123
Daily Caller News Foundation

Daily Caller News Foundation

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th