This website was created to raise awareness of the unfair financial burden placed on the citizens of Tuolumne County by the excessive pay, benefits, and pensions of the upper-echelon local government employees. It also aims to document the disparity in salary and benefits between the 20% of workers who do 80% of the work and the upper-echelon employees.
Tuolumne is one of the poorest counties in California. Yet, in 2022, we had over a dozen county employees who were paid more than Congressmen, Senators, 4-star Generals, and the Vice President. Additionally, two made more than the President.
Source: Transparent California
Tuolumne County’s Pay, Pensions, and Unfunded Pension Debt
In 2021, Tuolumne County’s total debt was $216,341,000.00, of that amount, $128,612,000.00 was for county employees’ pensions.
Page link: Tuolumne County’s Unsustainable Debt
In 2022, Tuolumne County had:
- 2 employees who received over $400,000.00 a year in pay and benefits;
- 10 employees who received over $300,000.00 a year in pay and benefits;
- 51 employees who received over $200,000.00 a year in pay and benefits;
- 297 employees who received over $100,000.00 a year in pay and benefits;
- 22 former employees who received over $100,000.00 a year in pensions;
- 353 employees who received $1,920,776.00 in overtime pay;
- 880 employees who received a total of $72,933,894 in pay and benefits;
- County employees compensation costs each resident $1,326;
- median pay for full-time private workers was $51,116;
- median pay and benefits for full-time county employees was $109,176.
Source: Transparent California
Page link: Tuolumne County’s Pay, Pensions, and Unfunded Pension Debt
Tuolumne County Pay – Top Ten 2022
| Name | Job title | Regular pay | Pay & Benefits |
| Tracie M Riggs | County Administrative Officer | $183,996.00 | $412,477.12 |
| Neil Evans | Undersheriff | $182,207.00 | $402,996.69 |
| Eric L Erhardt | Asst County Administrative Officer | $158,763.00 | $359,489.98 |
| Rebecca Espino | Health Human Svcs Agency Dir | $230,731.00 | $347,541.75 |
| Deborah M Bautista | Clerk/Auditor-Controller | $218,372.00 | $345,312.64 |
| Sarah Carrillo | County Counsel | $163,929.00 | $342,072.73 |
| Steven Boyack | Assistant HHS Director | $152,371.00 | $324,554.18 |
| William J Pooley | Sheriff-Coroner | $200,375.00 | $322,507.58 |
| Eric Hovatter | Assistant District Attorney | $146,446.00 | $321,985.85 |
| Daniel Hawks | Chief Probation Officer | $146,577.00 | $314,280.69 |
Source: Transparent California
Page link: Tuolumne County Pay – 100K Club 2022
Tuolumne County Pensions – Top Ten 2022
| Name | Pension | Benefits | Disability | Years of Service | Year of Retirement | Total pension & benefits amount |
| James Mele | $180,839.70 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 30.77 | 2018 | $180,839.70 |
| Craig L Pedro | $180,115.62 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 36.62 | 2018 | $180,115.62 |
| Beverly J Shane | $164,827.95 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 36.59 | 2017 | $164,827.95 |
| Shirlee N Juhl | $160,956.42 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 34.22 | 2008 | $160,956.42 |
| Adele L Arnold | $137,397.96 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 35.41 | 2015 | $137,397.96 |
| Marilyn E Wallace | $128,094.48 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Beneficiary | 2006 | $128,094.48 |
| Ann Connolly | $126,616.92 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 30.79 | 2019 | $126,616.92 |
| Keith B Lunney | $126,298.08 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 33.21 | 2013 | $126,298.08 |
| Steven C Szalay | $121,858.77 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 10.24 | 2005 | $121,858.77 |
| Richard L Rogers | $121,167.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 31.39 | 2005 | $121,167.00 |
Source: Transparent California
Page link: Tuolumne County Pensions – 100K Club 2022
Tuolumne County Unfunded Pensions – Top Ten 2022
| Name | Job title | Regular pay | Pension debt |
| Neil Evans | Undersheriff | $182,207.00 | $77,109.69 |
| Rebecca Espino | Health Human Svcs Agency Dir | $230,731.00 | $62,451.75 |
| Tracie M Riggs | County Administrative Officer | $183,996.00 | $62,008.12 |
| David L Vasquez | Sheriff’S Captain | $158,250.00 | $61,358.71 |
| Deborah M Bautista | Clerk/Auditor-Controller | $218,372.00 | $60,668.64 |
| Daniel Hawks | Chief Probation Officer | $146,577.00 | $60,301.69 |
| Jarrod L Pippin | Sheriff’S Captain | $147,438.00 | $60,131.04 |
| Robert S Nikiforuk | Sheriff S Lieutenant 10% | $140,427.00 | $58,916.62 |
| Eric L Erhardt | Asst County Administrative Ofc | $158,763.00 | $55,865.98 |
| Sarah Carrillo | County Counsel | $163,929.00 | $54,085.73 |
Source: Transparent California
Page link: Tuolumne County Unfunded Pensions – Top Ten 2022
Tuolumne County Overtime Pay – Top Ten 2022
| Name | Job title | Regular pay | Overtime pay |
| William Smylie | Jail Deputy Sheriff | $58,170.00 | $33,925.00 |
| Tai Yue | Deputy Sheriff | $70,295.00 | $29,643.00 |
| Romel Cuellar | Sheriff S Sergeant | $101,514.00 | $28,894.00 |
| Cody Stephens | Deputy Sheriff Corporal | $78,356.00 | $28,479.00 |
| Jamie Pacheco | Jail Deputy Sheriff | $60,781.00 | $28,217.00 |
| Lindsy Bones | Jail Deputy Sheriff Corporal | $59,912.00 | $27,999.00 |
| Nathan J Rohr | Jail Deputy Sheriff Corporal | $54,278.00 | $27,903.00 |
| James Oliver | Sheriff S Sergeant Invest | $132,163.00 | $27,697.00 |
| Jessica Holt | Jail Deputy Sheriff Corporal | $58,592.00 | $27,487.00 |
| McKenzie Lindeman | Sheriff S Dispatcher Ii | $54,776.00 | $27,252.00 |
Source: Transparent California
Page link: Tuolumne County Overtime Pay – Top Ten 2022
Federal, State, And Local Debt
In 2024, the US Debt was over 34 trillion – $34,000,000,000,000.00
- $981,000.00 is each taxpayer’s share of the US debt
Source: Truth In Accounting
In 2021, California’s Debt was $240.6 billion – $240,600,000,000.00
- $18,600 is each taxpayer’s share of California’s debt
Source: Truth in Accounting
In 2021, Tuolumne County’s Debt was $216,341,000.00
- $3,916.17 is each taxpayer’s share of Tuolumne County’s debt
Source: 2021 ACFR – Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2021
In 2021, the City of Sonora’s Debt was ???
- Sonora has not published its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).
Sonora must publish its CAFR to restore public trust through financial transparency and accountability.