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Barry Tippin Retirement Price Tag

Barry Tippin - retired Redding City Manager -- photo www.cityofredding.gov
Barry Tippin - retired Redding City Manager -- photo www.cityofredding.gov

In a move that sparked widespread debate over fiscal responsibility and public sector pay, Barry Tippin retired as City Manager of Redding, California, on October 3, 2025. After leading the city through challenges like wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, he leaves behind a legacy of his own high salary and escalating city employee compensation. His departure highlighted ongoing concerns about municipal finances, including soaring salaries and the mounting pension obligations that go along with them and continue to burden local taxpayers.


Tippin joined the City of Redding in 2004 as Assistant Director of Development Services (often associated with engineering roles). He progressed to Director of the Transportation and Engineering Department, then to Director of Redding Electric Utility (REU). In early 2017, he advanced to Assistant City Manager, and later that year was appointed interim City Manager before becoming permanent City Manager. This career spanned over 21 years of service.


Salary Growth During Tippin's Tenure

Transparent California records show substantial compensation increases for Tippin. His regular pay reached $287,983 in 2023 and $329,979 in 2024, with total pay exceeding $332,000 (and reports of full packages nearing $589,000 including benefits).


During his tenure as City Manager, Tippin championed pay increases for many city employees. He conducted wage surveys that certain members of the Redding City Council regarded as inappropriate. Those surveys included in them California cities that are not comparable to the rural setting of Redding. As a result of those surveys Tippin was successful in implementing similar wage growth for not only his own position but also for many classes of City workers, with executive raises of 15–16% in some years and cumulative increases up to 40% for certain groups. There was also some controversy over how those surveys were presented and ultimately approved by the City Council. These adjustments supported retention and cost-of-living alignment but also directly affected CalPERS pension calculations.


Estimated Cost of Tippin's Retirement Pension

As a classic miscellaneous member under CalPERS's 2% at 55 formula, Tippin retired at about age 62 with over 21 years of service. The benefit factor peaks near 2.418% at that age. With final compensation around $330,000, his annual pension is estimated at $165,000–$170,000—roughly 50–51% of final pay.


Cost-of-living adjustments (up to 2% annually, compounded) apply. Over a typical 20–25 year lifespan, total payouts could surpass $3.5–$4 million (excluding periodic adjustments and benefits). Taxpayers cover these through city CalPERS contributions from general revenues, taxes, and utility fees. This estimate does not include the cost of other benefits such as health care, for which the City of Redding provides contributions to retirees (e.g., up to $1,241 per month toward medical premiums under current bargaining agreements). Additionally, his final compensation figure may have been adjusted upwards for special compensation items like unused vacation cashouts, and his service credit may be increased through the conversion of unused sick leave (at a rate of approximately 0.004 years of service credit per unused sick leave day under CalPERS rules), potentially boosting the pension amount further.


Based on CalPERS actuarial assumptions from the 2021 Experience Study (with generational mortality improvements), the expected remaining lifespan for a male retiree at age 62 is approximately 23.6 years. At the current contribution rate of $1,241 per month ($14,892 annually), the additional cost for health care benefits over this actuarial life could total around $351,000 (undiscounted and excluding potential inflation or premium increases). This adds significantly to the overall retirement burden on taxpayers, potentially bringing the total cost factoring in inflation to approximately $5 million.


Impact on Citywide Retirement Liabilities

Salary increases during Tippin's tenure contributed to rising accrued pension liabilities. Raises exceeding actuarial assumptions (about 3% annual payroll growth) generate increased unfunded accrued liabilities (UAL).


The City of Redding's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 (measurement date June 30, 2023) provides the latest detailed figures:

  • Miscellaneous Plan (most non-safety employees): Total Pension Liability: $546.7 million Plan Fiduciary Net Position: $356.1 million Net Pension Liability: $190.6 million Funded Ratio: 65.1%

  • Safety Plan (police and fire): Total Pension Liability: $398.1 million Plan Fiduciary Net Position: $242.8 million Net Pension Liability: $155.3 million Funded Ratio: 61.0%

  • Aggregate CalPERS Net Pension Liability: ~$346 million

  • Additional PARS Plan: Net Pension Liability $14.9 million (funded ratio 84.2%)


Total Citywide Net Pension Liability: Approximately $360.9 million

This exceeds earlier estimates (e.g., ~$255 million in 2017). Strong CalPERS returns, including preliminary gains in FY 2024–25, have helped systemwide, but Redding's non-pooled classic plans face direct impacts from variances.


The city paid over $52 million in pension contributions in FY 2024, including UAL payments. Safety employees' higher formulas drive much of the liability relative to payroll. With the growth in UAL driven by the increases to City employees, a larger portion of the city's already constrained budget will have to go toward funding pensions.


Ongoing Financial Pressures

Tippin's retirement followed budget scrutiny, including a special October 2025 financial report addressing public concerns published by Councilwoman Tenessa Audette. Salary growth aided retention but added to long-term taxpayer-funded obligations.


Footnote:

Transition to New Leadership

On December 9, 2025, the City Council selected William S. Tarbox as the next City Manager after a national search. Tarbox, formerly Director of Public Works in Concord, California, brings extensive experience in infrastructure, utilities, and regional partnerships across roles in Benicia and San Francisco.

William Tarbox - incoming City Manager of Redding - photo www.cityofconcord.org
William Tarbox - incoming City Manager of Redding - photo www.cityofconcord.org

His appointment is pending final background checks and contract approval, with an expected start by February 2026. The recruitment listed a salary range of up to $336,348, reflecting the position's demands for a city of Redding's size and scope (including utility management). Exact terms, including starting salary, remain to be finalized publicly. The published starting salary for the position is listed as approximately $249,000.


As Tarbox prepares to lead, focus will likely remain on fiscal stability, pension management, and community priorities amid Redding's ongoing growth and challenges.


Sources:

Sources for the Article: "The Retirement of Redding City Manager Barry Tippin: Pension Costs, Salary Growth, Unfunded Liabilities, and Leadership Transition"

The information in the article was compiled from publicly available official documents, financial reports, salary databases, and news articles. Below is a categorized list of key sources used for verification and data extraction. Each entry includes a brief description of its relevance and the corresponding URL where available (based on web searches for the exact or closest matching resources).

Official City of Redding Announcements and Reports

Salary and Compensation Data

News and Media Coverage

CalPERS Pension Information

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