Earning $1 million typically takes years of work. But for a former Redlands police deputy chief, California payroll records show the seven-figure payday came in a year when he reportedly did not work a single day.
New data released by the State Controller’s Office shows a Redlands Police Department deputy chief was paid nearly $1.2 million in wages in 2025 — the highest amount reported for any city employee in California. Public payroll records and Transparent California identify the employee as former Deputy Chief Travis Martinez.
The controller’s database lists Martinez as receiving $81,804 in regular pay, $890,467 in other pay and $231,099 in lump-sum compensation before his retirement in April. Redlands also paid $55,864 toward his retirement and health benefits, bringing his total compensation to about $1.26 million.
That total placed him ahead of every other municipal employee in the state, including a Los Angeles Fire Department battalion chief who received more than $921,000 in wages and a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power supervisor who earned more than $779,000.
The State Controller’s Office releases annual compensation data for public employees across California, drawing from payroll information submitted by thousands of government agencies. The database includes wages, overtime, pension contributions and benefits, though it does not list employees by name. Transparent California connected the Redlands compensation figure to Martinez.
According to The Orange County Register, Martinez’s unusually large payout was tied to an agreement that resolved a prolonged dispute with the city.
Martinez had been on paid administrative leave from the Police Department for roughly 18 months before retiring in April 2025. Under the settlement, he agreed to retire and drop a legal claim against the city in exchange for a payment reported at approximately $872,000.
In the 2023 claim, Martinez accused city officials of retaliating against him after he reported what he characterized as misconduct inside the department.
Among his allegations, Martinez said he raised concerns about attempts to conceal evidence involving safety issues connected to a deadly Metrolink train crash that killed a Redlands woman and her 11-year-old daughter. He also claimed he was retaliated against after reporting allegations of sexual misconduct involving then-Deputy Chief Mike Reiss to the FBI because he believed the matter was not being properly addressed internally.
Martinez further alleged that city leaders pressured him to overlook misconduct and remain silent.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Martinez was placed on paid leave in October 2023 and never returned to active duty before his retirement.
The allegations against Reiss have led to multiple legal settlements for the city. Reiss retired in March 2023 after accusations that he groomed, sexually harassed and preyed on several department employees over a period of years. Former Police Chief Chris Catren also retired days earlier, citing a work-related injury and denying any connection to the controversy.
Over the past three years, Redlands has approved more than $3.3 million in settlements to resolve sexual harassment lawsuits tied to Reiss. The most recent came in June, when the City Council approved a $475,000 settlement with former forensic specialist Geneva Holzer. As part of the agreement, Holzer agreed to resign and dismiss her lawsuit.
In his legal claim, Martinez pointed to his 29-year career with the department, saying he helped develop policing initiatives that were later adopted by agencies nationwide. He also alleged he was repeatedly passed over for promotion because he refused to ignore misconduct within the department.
