A new study by the California Policy Center finds retired Kern County employees are being paid higher pensions than the statewide average.

Researcher Ed Ring says the average retired public employee in California is paid more than $68,000 a year, but local retirees make about $71,000 and fully invested retirees get nearly $80,000 a year.

Kern County has one of the few systems that is independent of the state’s CalPERS retirement fund.

Sean Michael Lisle