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FRESNO, Calif. -- Two Fresno City Council members are drafting attraction to what they telephone an "astonishingly excessive" wage for the CEO of Valley Children's Healthcare.
There was outrage astatine Fresno City Hall connected Wednesday implicit aggregate reports retired this week detailing the compensation of Valley Children's CEO Todd Suntrapak.
Tax documents obtained by Action News uncover that successful 2021, Suntrapak received much than $5.1 cardinal successful compensation.
A breakdown of his benefits shows a $1.7 cardinal basal wage with an further $3.4 cardinal successful bonuses and more.
On apical of that, the nonprofit person received a $5 cardinal indebtedness for a caller home. Reports accidental it's successful Carmel.
The taxation preparer writes the indebtedness was a "retention inducement successful lieu of different compensation."
The full bundle present starring 2 Fresno City Council members to telephone for an investigation.
"That is wherefore I'm calling for California Attorney General Rob Bonta to analyse however these authorities dollars are being spent," said Fresno City Council subordinate Garry Bredefeld.
"Today, I'm asking for the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and volition beryllium submitting this successful penning to its subordinate of the Central Valley, Assemblymember Jim Patterson, to motorboat an audit of Valley Children's..." said Fresno City Council Member.
Councilmembers Garry Bredefeld and Miguel Arias allege that Valley Children's uses infirmary proceeds to money enforcement salaries, claiming immoderate of that wealth came from nationalist healthcare reimbursements, similar Medi-Cal.
"Their 2021 taxation returns show that they made a $354 cardinal nett that twelvemonth alone," said Arias. "Why isn't that wealth going to grow exigency rooms, to prosecute much doctors and nurses, to process kids who are sleeping successful the exigency room?"
In effect to those claims, the seat of Valley Children's Board of Trustees released a connection Wednesday.
"The Central Valley has built 1 of the nation's premier children's hospitals," committee seat Michael Hanson said.
"In doing so, we person recruited and retained immoderate of America's champion executives, caregivers and squad members. As such, the prime of our attraction and the fiscal absorption of our enactment is, and continues to be, champion successful class."
PR steadfast AMF Media Group has been contracted by Valley Children's and is defending the hospital.
During a vigor interrogation with ABC30 media spouse KMJ connected Tuesday, AMF CEO Vintage Foster said the infirmary changed its bonus docket successful 2021.
So, Suntrapak received 2 bonuses successful 1 calendar twelvemonth but nary bonus the pursuing year.
"If you instrumentality that, I'm going to circular up $1.6 successful enforcement bonus pay, which the infirmary and its executives earned, and his base. Todd truly brought location successful income astir $3, $3.2 million. Not $5 million."
As the infirmary pushes backmost connected the councilmembers' claims, Assemblyman Jim Patterson is already stymieing Arias and Bredefeld's calls for an investigation.
"Despite calls to audit Valley Children's Hospital, the authorities has nary authorization to request accusation connected the enforcement wage and compensation of a private, non-profit," Patterson said. "Any audit would lone absorption connected programs and backing the Hospital receives from the state."
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