Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Benjamin Vazquez should apologize to the police union

Last week Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Benjamin Vazquez, who does not allow dissenters to tag him in social media posts, accused the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA) of wrongdoing and ran to the media with baseless accusations of short changing the city.

The recent audit of SAPOA’s healthcare trust and its revision has proven there is no overpayment from the City and in fact, the City of Santa Ana appears to be short changing the hard-working officers and non-sworn employees on their healthcare.

SAPOA commented in a Facebook post that “It is a shame that the Mayor Pro Tem manufactured an outrage rather than putting out all of the facts. The facts are now known, and we hope he will do the right thing and apologize for his actions.”

In the wake of the audit, the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA) has issued a rare press release addressing recent allegations regarding the Health Insurance Trust:

A revised 2023 Agreed Upon Procedure Report (audit) confirms that no overpayment was made by the City of Santa Ana to the Association.

According to the audit, several key findings clarify the financial relationship between the City and the Trust:

• No overpayment has occurred.
• The City currently contributes less than the full cost of health care coverage for SAPOA members, creating an underfunding of the Trust.
• All Trust assets have been used exclusively to provide health benefits to members.
• To maintain consistent coverage despite underfunding, the Trust has drawn from its reserves to make up the difference.

SAPOA emphasized its commitment to fiscal responsibility, noting that reserves have been carefully managed to ensure stable health benefits. Without these reserves, members would face significantly higher financial burdens.

The Association also expressed readiness to meet with City officials to discuss the Trust’s operations and the importance of maintaining reserves for future stability. SAPOA reaffirmed its transparency and dedication to building a trusted relationship with the City.