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Vernon City Employee Let Go While Officials Probe His Financial Dealings
Donal O'Callaghan
Donal O'Callaghan was one of several city employees in Vernon, the 5.2 square-mile area south of Downtown L.A. whose public employee's salary was found to be sky-high in the wake of the Bell salary scandal. Now O'Callaghan has been "relieved of his duties while," as officials probe his financial dealings, reports the LA Times ."In addition to his annual salary of more than $380,000, Donal O'Callaghan, a city administrator, also received $243,898 in consulting payments from the city," during the first half of 2010. Even more troubling is that the consulting monies came from "Tara Energy Inc., a consulting company headed by O'Callaghan's wife, Kimberly McBride O'Callaghan."
O'Callaghan also had an unusual arrangement for billing "overtime" hours accrued monthly, a practice that is atypical for not only salaried workers, but also for public employees. In 2010, he "billed for 100 to 126 excess hours each month from January through June, earning about $30,000 to $38,000 per month in fees paid to Tara Energy." Records show O'Callaghan was not taking full days off; he even logged 13 hours of work on New Year's Day.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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