Police chief’s pension is near $185,000, Costa Mesa officials say

Costa Mesa’s outgoing police chief will receive an annual pension of about $185,000 on top of a $167,812 salary when he starts a new job at the Port of Los Angeles, city officials said.

Chief Tom Gazsi is retiring from the Costa Mesa Police Department after about 35 years of law enforcement work in the area.

He started his career in 1979 in Newport Beach and stayed with that department until 2011, when Costa Mesa hired him as chief.

That length of service means Gazsi will receive 90% of his final year’s salary as a pension. The sum reflects his total years of service as a member of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), which Costa Mesa and the other cities that employed Gazsi paid into.

Costa Mesa city officials did not have a precise calculation of Gazsi’s retirement but said the annual payout would be roughly $186,030, which is 90% of his $206,700 salary as chief in 2013.

There wasn’t much else in Gazsi’s contract that would affect the final pension number, Costa Mesa Human Resources Director Lance Nakamoto said.

Gazsi contributed 10.5% of his final year’s paycheck toward his pension and slightly smaller percentages in previous years, according to Nakamoto.

The chief’s last day at Costa Mesa is Sunday, and he will begin work Monday as a deputy chief for the Los Angeles Port Police.

Combining his pension and new salary, Gazsi will bring in about $353,000 annually. He confirmed his retirement and salary numbers to the Pilot.

“Some will be critical, suggesting that I’m leaving one system and going into another, and that’s true,” said Gazsi. “However, how does that distinctly differ from someone in the private sector who has served 35 years in a profession and then continues using the skills training and expertise that were developed over decades to continue to serve the community and region?”

Gazsi could have retired earlier with a similar amount from CalPERS.

After more than 30 years with the Newport Beach Police Department, he’d locked in the maximum salary percentage of 90% for his pension. That length of employment rolled over into his retirement plan at Costa Mesa, which allowed him to retire at age 50. He’s now 54.

Gazsi said he’s grateful for the skills he learned over decades of police work in Orange County.

At the port, he’ll oversee emergency management and field operations that include security and anti-terrorism.

“The opportunity to use those skills developed over many years is as well a privilege,” Gazsi said. “It’s wonderful to be able to continue to contribute in serving our community and the region.”