VCTA Vindicated by Appeals Court

May 11, 2011 by Dick.Thomson

A state court of appeal ruled today that pension payments to county retirees are not confidential and must be released as a public record.

The ruling represents the first appellate decision in California over efforts to compel the release of the identities of government retirees drawing more than $100,000 annually.

The case involved attempts to keep the records of Sacramento County government retirees confidential, but affects a Ventura County legal battle over the same issue.

Earlier this week, Superior Court Judge Henry Walsh granted the request of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association for the same records for county government employees, but delayed it pending the decision from the 3rd District of the California Court of Appeal in Sacramento.

Now that it’s come in, an attorney for the association said he expects the board of the Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association to release the information quickly.

“It’s a clear victory,” said attorney Jim McDermott.

Attorneys for the retirement board could not immediately be reached for comment.

The ruling by the three-judge panel was unanimous.