This month’s installment is a roundup of the region’s special district general managers or CEOs who’ve left their leadership position in the past 5 years, and what they were (or continue to be) paid, if anything.
Local special districts range from familiar entities such as the school district and your neighborhood fire district, to the lesser-known folks who deal with what’s flushed down your toilet. They’re tiny governments with limited power, and each election year, ballots include the names of hopefuls looking to sit on the different special district boards.
Most of our special districts rely on property taxes and service charges to fund operations, meaning public dollars can go toward the financing of staffers after they’ve left a job. For example, Harry Weis’ recent separation from the hospital district earlier this year, or Rem Scherzinger’s 4-month-long-stint heading the Truckee Donner Public Utility District back in 2020. Both men left their jobs, but still got paid via public monies for a bit after the fact. (Weis will be paid more than $1 million during the 18 months that follow his separation.)
Below are the special districts that’ve experienced top-position turnover of some sort since 2019, including what benefits, if any, employees received after leaving.
~ AH
Special District | Outgoing | Nature of | Total Severance | Benefits Paid for By the District Upon Departure |
Alpine Springs County Water District | John Collins, 2005 to 2020 | Contract not renewed | N/A | None |
Donner Summit Public Utility District | Tom Skjelstad, 2003 to 2021 | Retirement | N/A | None |
Incline Village General Improvement District | Bobby Magee, March to August 2024 | Separation | $23,999.98, including payment of healthcare benefits | None |
Indra Windquest, 2020 to 2023 (as GM) | Separation | $269,037.73 Lump sum payment for any accrued vacation time unused at separation and 20% of any accrued sick time unused at separation | None | |
North Tahoe Fire Protection District | Mike Schwartz, 2012 to 2021 | Retirement | N/A | The district contracts with CalPERS for all employee pension benefits and has a Retiree Premium Reimbursement Plan for all employees for health coverage. Benefits of both plans are based on hire date and length of service. Chiefs do not receive any additional benefits above and beyond the other employees upon retirement. |
Northstar Community Services District | Mike Staudenmayer, 2004 to 2024 | Retirement (impending December 2024) | N/A | “I have not and will not be looking for any additional provisions with my departure and will likely not participate in the CalPERS health program.” |
Olympic Valley Public Service District | Mike Geary, 2011 to 2024 | New job | None | None |
Tahoe Truckee Health System | Harry Weis, 2015 to 2024 | Separation | $1,213,746.07, including health insurance for 18 months | None |
Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency | LaRue Griffin, 2015 to 2022 | Administrative leave June 2022 through March 2023 | N/A | Admin leave: $317,378.84 Since March 2023 to date; retiree benefits amount to $41,754 |
Tahoe Truckee Unified School District | Rob Leri, 2012 to 2020 | Retirement | N/A | None |
Carmen Ghysels, 2020 to 2023 | New job | None | None | |
Truckee Tahoe Airport District | Kevin Smith, 2010 to 2022 | New job | None | None |
Truckee Donner Public Utility District | Michael Holley, 2008 to 2020 | Retirement | N/A | Medical and pension benefits, $9,440 annually |
Rem Scherzinger, July 2020 to Nov. 2020 | Separation | Base salary for 12 months; health insurance for 6 months. Total: $332,847.81 | None | |
Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District | Steve Randall, 1985 to 2022 | Retirement | N/A | None |
Truckee Fire Protection District | Bill Seline, 2016 to 2022 | Retirement | N/A | Retirement pension through CalPERS and continued health coverage with CalPERS. Upon reaching age 65, Medicare becomes the primary insurance plan for the retiree and the health coverage provided by the fire district is demoted to a secondary insurance. |
