Housing Assistance For Laguna Beach Public Employees? Council Says 'No'

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The Laguna Beach City Council recently voted unanimously to end a program that helped employees purchase homes to live in town.

A program which began in 2000, public employees were given benefits to make up for not being paid as much as private-sector workers, to enable them to live within the city. According to a report from the Orange County Register, since that year, six employees were approved for that program including:

• City manager John Pietig
• Fire Chief Jeff La Tendresse, retiring in August
• Fire Division Chief Tom Christopher
• Public Works Director Shohreh Dupuis
• Former Water Quality Supervisor Graham Wright
• Former Fire Chief Mike Macey

“I look at the salaries for the top employees,” resident George Weiss said, in a Register report. “They’re all over $200,000. Anybody making over $200,000 can afford to live here and own property like a condominium or otherwise. If there’s an emergency, you can fly them in on a helicopter, if necessary.”

In Laguna Beach, salaries for city officials are "on par" and even "surpass" corporate compatriots, according to the Register.

"I don't think it's necessary for us to be involved in this program," Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Boyd said. "The chief of police lives out of town and can get here into town in an emergency."Photo by Laguna Beach resident Melinda Brower