I’m talking about Orange County, California, of course, not our own Orange County.
Specifically, it’s the town of Costa Mesa that’s attracting national attention for plans to ax nearly half of the municipal staff:
The city of 116,000 has begun soliciting bids to outsource as many as 18 city departments, including street sweeping and animal control, in an effort to curb pension costs and deficits that have depleted $35 million of the city’s reserves since the start of the recession. Righeimer says the cuts are necessary because Costa Mesa’s pension costs have risen from $5 million annually a decade ago to $15 million this year and are projected to climb 60 percent over the next five years.
Regular Locker Room readers will recognize the theme of public-sector pension problems.
