Shohreh Dupuis left her job as city manager of Laguna Beach two years ago, in the wake of a squabble with a city council member, a threat of a harassment lawsuit, and an inquiry into into how her house came to be smeared with feces.

Details of that municipal soap opera were unique, but at least one aspect of her departure was not: Laguna Beach agreed to pay Dupuis nine months salary and health insurance, a separate settlement of about $223,000, and another $10,000 to cover her legal fees. In all, taxpayers paid the former city manager about $450,000 to not work for them.

It was all legal.

It was also routine.

Since 2020, at least 12 cities in Orange County have cut ties with top officials before their contracts were done, essentially paying people not to do their jobs because of so

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