California city’s highest earner drew $1.2M as his annual salary in 2025 – except that he didn’t work a single day of the year

A former deputy chief of the Redlands Police Department managed to top the California public payroll for 2025 by taking home nearly $1.2 million despite being off the clock for the entire duration of that year. Not just that, per the NY Post, newly released data from the State Controller’s Office highlights this massive payout as the largest total reported by any city employee across the entire state. 

Public payroll records and Transparent California specifically identify this individual as former Deputy Chief Travis Martinez. The controller’s database indicates Martinez received $81,804 in regular pay, $890,467 in other pay, and $231,099 in lump-sum compensation before he officially retired in April. If you add in the city’s contribution of $55,864 toward his retirement and health benefits, his total compensation package reaches approximately $1.26 million.

As reported by The Orange County Register, this substantial sum followed an agreement that resolved a long-standing dispute between Martinez and the city. Before his retirement in April 2025, Martinez had spent about 18 months on paid administrative leave. As part of a settlement agreement, he agreed to retire and drop a legal claim he had previously filed against the city. In exchange, he received a payment that totaled roughly $872,000.

He claims the department engaged in misconduct and cover-ups

The outlet noted that Martinez’s earnings far exceeded those of a Los Angeles Fire Department battalion chief who received more than $921,000, as well as a supervisor at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power who brought home over $779,000. While the state database does not attach names to these figures, Transparent California was able to link the compensation to Martinez.

The legal claim in question was made in 2023, when Martinez alleged that city officials engaged in retaliation against him after he reported what he characterized as misconduct within the department. One of the specific allegations he raised involved attempts to conceal evidence regarding safety issues linked to a deadly Metrolink train crash that resulted in the deaths of a Redlands woman and her 11-year-old daughter. 

Furthermore, the NY Post reported that Martinez claimed he faced retaliation after he reported allegations of sexual misconduct involving the then-Deputy Chief Mike Reiss to the FBI. He stated that he felt the internal department processes were failing to address the matter properly. Martinez also alleged that he faced pressure from city leadership to remain silent and overlook various forms of misconduct.

According to the Redlands Daily Facts, it was persistent allegations of sexual misconduct that led to both an administrative investigation by the city and a federal probe by the FBI. A claim for damages filed by forensic specialist Geneva Holzer alleged that in December 2019, then-Lieutenant Mike Reiss and Sergeant Kyle Alexander attempted to destroy physical evidence of sexual misconduct. 

Holzer had reportedly discovered a semen-stained chair in the office of a former employee who had alleged she was coerced into sexual acts with Reiss. When Holzer reported the discovery, she alleged that Alexander instructed her to dispose of the chair and to keep the report out of the official evidence system to ensure the matter remained hidden.

Per the outlet, the allegations against Reiss have resulted in multiple legal settlements for the city, with more than $3.3 million approved over the past three years to resolve various sexual harassment lawsuits. Reiss retired in March 2023, while former Police Chief Chris Catren retired just days earlier, citing a work-related back injury. Catren maintained that his departure was purely medical and had no connection to the controversy surrounding the department.

In his own legal claim, Martinez pointed to his 29-year career with the police force. Per the NY Post, he described it as exemplary and highlighted his role in developing policing initiatives that were later adopted by agencies countrywide. He also maintained that he was repeatedly passed over for promotions because he refused to ignore the misconduct he observed. 

Ultimately, Martinez was placed on paid leave in October 2023 and remained in that status until his retirement in April 2025. Most common incidents that lead to police officers being placed on administrative leave tend to be a result of ‘criminal’ actions. That makes it all the more interesting to see that this measure was levied against Martinez when he allegedly revealed a crime instead. 

In the past few months, officers who have been placed on leave included an officer who was put on leave after pulling his gun on a fellow officer because of his microwave usage. In Florida, a cop attempted to kiss 71yo elderly woman and failed.