We Pay Him More Than the Governor. He Delivers Less Than Anyone Else.

California has a spending problem. It is not just about programs or infrastructure. It is about paying premium rates for catastrophic failure. Nowhere is this more evident than in Riverside County, where Sheriff Chad Bianco has become the state’s ultimate example of government dependency.

While he rails against government waste, Sheriff Bianco accepted a massive pay raise that pushed his base salary to nearly $350,000 a year. To put that in perspective, the average county sheriff in the United States earns roughly $70,000 annually. Even in high-cost California, the average salary for a sheriff is approximately $115,000. Yet when you factor in his benefits and pension, Bianco’s total compensation currently tops half a million dollars. He now costs taxpayers significantly more than the Governor of California.

If this premium price tag delivered premium safety, perhaps it would be justifiable. But taxpayers are buying the worst performance in the state. According to 2025 data from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Riverside County ranks last among California’s 57 sheriffs in solving major crimes. The department clears only 9.2% of reported serious felonies. If a Californian is a victim of a serious crime in that jurisdiction, there is a better than 90% chance the case will never be solved.

This failure does not rest on the brave deputies working tirelessly on the ground. They deserve a leader who gives them resources and strategy rather than a politician focused on cable news. The Sheriff has lost such total control of his department’s management that overtime spending has spiraled. In 2024, multiple subordinates took home significantly more than the Sheriff himself, with compensation packages topping $400,000.

The contrast next door is stark. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department faces similar demographics yet manages to solve cases at a rate of 26.1%, which is nearly three times higher than Riverside.

This mismanagement turns tragic inside the county jails. In 2022, the county recorded 18 in-custody deaths, which was the highest number in 15 years. Despite housing only 6% of the state’s jail population, the county accounted for 17% of California’s jail homicides.

This negligence has created a financial crisis. Taxpayers are on the hook for millions in legal settlements, including a massive $7.5 million payout for the death of Christopher Zumwalt. Even after that payout, Sheriff Bianco refused to accept responsibility and stated publicly that the facts of the case showed the actions of his deputies were appropriate and lawful.

The Sheriff also sends dangerous mixed messages on immigration that destroy public trust. While he claims his deputies will not make arrests on the street, he simultaneously vows to work around California sanctuary laws to assist federal deportation efforts from his jails. This rhetoric creates a climate of fear where victims of crime are terrified to come forward. When victims stay silent, criminals stay free.

California is already facing a crushing affordability crisis. Families are struggling to pay the rent while the political class votes themselves raises. Sheriff Bianco has no incentive to fix this system because he is profiting from it. True affordability comes from accountability. If we do not hold leaders accountable for their budgets and their results, we will keep paying the price. We cannot afford to promote this type of failure to the governor's office.