The California Supreme Court has ruled 7-0 that the salaries of public employees including police officers are a matter of public interest and must be made available upon request. In reaching its decision on Monday, the Court said “in light of the strong public policy supporting transparency in government, an individual’s expectation of privacy in a salary earned in public employment is significantly less than the privacy expectation regarding income earned in the public sector.”
The ruling came after two California newspapers had filed suit to demand the names and salaries of city employees who earned more than than $100,000 a year.
California employee unions had argued that the public disclosure was an invasion of privacy.
Sources: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S134253.PDF,
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/28/ap4060606.html
