A onetime deputy police chief in Redlands quietly became California's highest-paid public employee in 2025, collecting about $1.26 million in total compensation, according to state payroll records. Most of that eye-popping haul did not come from a supersized salary, but from a retirement and settlement package that turned routine line items into a headline-grabbing payout. The disclosure has sparked fresh questions in Redlands about how local settlements and one-time checks show up in statewide salary databases.
State data show the breakdown
Figures filed with the State Controller's Office list $81,804 in regular pay for the Redlands deputy chief in 2025, plus $231,099 in lump-sum pay and $890,467 in "other pay," for roughly $1.2 million in total wages. The city also reported about $55,864 in retirement and health contributions, bringing the grand total to around $1.26 million in compensation. The Los Angeles Times first highlighted how the settlement-driven spike vaulted the Redlands official to the top of the statewide pay list.
Settlement approved in closed session
City Council minutes show that a $871,956 payment was authorized in closed session as part of a broader settlement. That amount was to be paid along with accrued leave and other accruals. According to city records, the agreement required the employee to file for retirement and included mutual releases between the parties. Local outlet Community Forward Redlands reported on the key terms of the deal and the 3–2 council vote that approved it.
How the worker was identified
The state's public payroll portal lists job titles and pay data but not employee names, which can make six-figure entries look like mysteries. In this case, outside data projects helped connect the dots: Transparent California links the 2025 Redlands deputy chief record to Travis B. Martinez. That identification allowed local reporters to tie the unusually large payout to the retirement settlement and to earlier internal personnel disputes at the Redlands Police Department.
Local context and past payouts
Redlands is no stranger to costly personnel cases. In recent years the city has paid out several sizable settlements, including a roughly $1.7 million sexual-harassment agreement reported in 2023, according to the Police Funding Database. City budget documents show that public safety is among Redlands' largest ongoing expenses, so one-time legal bills can ripple through decisions about staffing, equipment and other services, even when officials insist they are one-off events.
Legal notes
"The City Council approved a settlement agreement and release of all claims," the council minutes state, listing material terms that include when payments must be made and the requirement that the employee file for retirement. On the state side, the Controller's website reminds users that "the information presented is posted as submitted by each reporting public employer," a caveat that the posted figures reflect what agencies report rather than numbers independently audited by Sacramento.
