Some Treasure Coast government jobs come with lucrative severance pay
July 13th, 2009 by TCPalm.comWhen the Martin County Commission fired Duncan Ballantyne from his $147,250 a year job as county administrator on St. Patrick’s Day, a pot of gold awaited the seasoned bureaucrat.
For starters, Ballantyne remained on the county payroll for a month after he cleaned out his office because he was entitled to a 30-day notice of his termination.
Since his official last day on April 23, Ballantyne has collected a total of $84,451 as a result of the severance package he negotiated when he was hired in the fall of 2005, county records show. And his initial severance period doesn’t end until Aug. 23.
Ballantyne’s severance package is not unusual for local government managers and attorneys on the Treasure Coast. In fact, 13 local government managers and attorneys in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties are entitled to severance pay for six months, or longer, if they are fired without cause.
The severance package of St. Lucie Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon is the most lucrative with 18 months at his base salary of $175,000 per year, if he is fired without cause, as well as health and life insurance coverage, school district records show.
Lannon and Ballantyne could not immediately be reached for comment.
Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird, whose job may be in jeopardy as a result of an arrest on a DUI charge, said the severance packages are a much-needed safety net for government leaders who can be fired without cause during any given commission meeting.
“We’re an at-will employee,” Baird said. “We don’t have any rights. We’re not like a regular employee that has property rights where you have to show progressive discipline, you have to show performance. That’s why we have the contract. We can come in one Tuesday and they can say, ‘We just don’t like you any more. Bye.’”
The vast majority of county administrators and county attorneys in Florida have contracts with severance pay, and so do most municipal managers and municipal attorneys, Baird said.
Lance Skovsgard, a business executive and board member on the Taxpayers’ Association of Indian River County, questioned why the top government managers and attorneys get any severance pay if they are fired.
“Once these services are terminated, why should taxpayer dollars continue to benefit these former public service personnel?” Skovsgard asked.
That sentiment was echoed by Martha Bennett, a former Martin County Commission candidate who attends many local government meetings.
“They are all exhorbitant,” Bennett said after viewing a summary of the severance packages of the local government administrators and attorneys on the Treasure Coast. “Let them try to live on $300 a week unemployment.”
Some top local government attorneys on the Treasure Coast have no severance clauses, such as St. Lucie County Attorney Dan McIntyre and Martin County School Board Attorney Doug Griffin.
In Ballantyne’s case, former Martin County Commissioner Lee Weberman conceded he deserved the blame for negotiating the severance package in Ballantyne’s contract, but it was part of his effort to keep Ballantyne’s base salary down. The deal included 60 days of paid time off to start with and the same amount of annual paid time off as a 20-year county employee.
That enabled Ballantyne to collect $42,475 in paid time off, county records show.
“It’s almost like a poison pill where these severance packages are so astronomical you almost can’t make a change when you need to,” Weberman said. “I think we ought to have caps on your severance packages. I think the salaries are artificially high to begin with.”
Bill Summers, a local government watchdog, said the Martin County Commission has such a bad reputation for its handling of county administrators that no one qualified would take the job without a lucrative severance package.
“He would have been a darned fool to have taken that job without being protected for severance pay and vacation and whatever else he could get because he knew what was going to happen,” Summers said.
Government severance: some Golden parachutes, some free falls
n/a = not applicable
Former Martin County Administrator Duncan Ballantyne
Annual base salary: $147,250
Notice of termination: 30 days
Severance: Four months base salary
Retirement: Four months
Lump sum: All unused paid time off
Health insurance: Six months
Life insurance: Six months
If unemployed for more than six months;
Additional severance: Two months of base pay and retirement contributions
Amount paid since April 23:
Paid time off pay out: $42,475
Severance pay: $32,673
Deferred compensation: $1,153
Health insurance: $3,202
Life insurance: $300
Total: $84,451
Acting Martin County Administrator Taryn Kryzda
Annual base salary: $139,676
Notice of termination: County Commission vote
Severance: None
Deferred compensation: n/a
Lump sum: All unused paid time off up to 600 hours
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Martin County Attorney Stephen Fry
Annual base salary: $115,850
Notice of termination: 30 days
Severance: Three months base salary
Deferred compensation: Three months
Lump sum: All unused paid time off
Health insurance: Three years
Life insurance: Three months
Martin County Schools Superintendent Nancy Kline
Annual base salary: $115,116
Notice: Elected official
Severance: None
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: unknown
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Martin County School Board Attorney Doug Griffin
Annual base salary: $128,843
Notice of termination: At least two years
Severance: None
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation time
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Stuart City Manager Dan Hudson
Annual base salary: $144,400
Notice of termination: City Commission vote
Severance: One year base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused paid time off and half of unused sick leave
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Stuart City Attorney Paul Nicoletti
Annual base salary: $138,846
Notice of termination: City Commission vote
Severance: One year base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused paid time off and half of unused sick leave
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Sewall’s Point Town Manager Bob Kellogg
Annual base salary: $107,640
Notice of termination: Town Commission vote
Severance: Nine months base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unpaid salary and unused vacation, holidays and sick leave
Health insurance: Nine months
Life insurance: Nine months
Sewall’s Point Town Attorney Glen Torcivia
Rate of pay: $195 per hour
Notice of termination: 30 days
Severance: n/a
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: n/a
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Jupiter Island Town Manager Joe Connolly
Annual base salary: $136,000
Notice of termination: Town Commission vote
Severance: Six months base salary
Retirement: Six months
Lump sum: All unpaid sick leave and vacation time
Health insurance: Six months
Life insurance: Six months
St. Lucie County Administrator Faye Outlaw
Annual base salary: $165,000
Notice of termination: 90 days
Severance: Three months base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation time
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
St. Lucie County Attorney Dan McIntyre
Annual base salary: $177,944
Notice of termination: County Commission vote
Severance: None
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation time
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon
Annual base salary: $175,039
Notice of termination: School Board vote
Severance: 18 months base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation and sick days
Health insurance: 18 months
Life insurance: 18 months
St. Lucie County School Board Attorney Dan Harrell
Annual pay: $284,568 in 2008 based on $69,360 retainer plus $185 hourly rate
Notice of termination: School Board vote
Severance: n/a
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: n/a
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Port St. Lucie City Manager Don Cooper
Annual base salary: $171,801
Notice of termination: City Council vote
Severance: Six months salary
Retirement: Six months
Lump sum: All unpaid vacation time and half of unpaid sick leave up to 1,040 hours
Health insurance: Six months
Life insurance: Six months
Port St. Lucie City Attorney Roger Orr
Annual base salary: $179,213
Notice of termination: City Council vote
Severance: Five months salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: Half of unpaid sick leave up to 1,040 hours
Health insurance: Five months
Life insurance: n/a
Fort Pierce City Manager David Recor
Annual base salary: $133,642
Notice of termination: 90 days
Severance: Six months base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: Unpaid sick leave and vacation time
Health insurance: Six months
Life insurance: Six months
Fort Pierce City Attorney Rob Schwerer
Information not immediately available
Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird
Annual base salary: $184,826
Notice of termination: 90 days
Severance: One month of pay for each year of service up to 11 months in second year of contract and 10 months in third year of contract
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused annual and sick leave
Health insurance: One month of insurance for each year of service up to 11 months in second year of contract and 10 months in third year of contract
Life insurance: n/a
Indian River County Attorney Will Collins
Annual base salary: $135,202
Notice of termination: 30 days
Severance: One month of pay for each year of service up to up to nine months
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused annual and sick leave
Health insurance: One month of insurance for each year of service up to nine months
Life insurance: n/a
Indian River County Schools Superintendent Henry LaCava
Annual base salary: $175,000
Notice of termination: School Board vote
Severance: One year base salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation and sick days
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Indian River County School Board Attorney Usher “Larry” Brown
Annual base salary: $264,000
Notice of termination: 30 days
Severance: n/a
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: n/a
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Vero Beach City Manager Jim Gabbard
Annual base salary: $135,907
Notice of termination: City Council vote
Severance: Up to 90 days with Council approval
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unpaid annual leave and a percentage of unused medical leave
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Vero Beach City Attorney Charles Vitunac
Annual base salary: $132,633
Notice of termination: City Council vote
Severance: Up to 90 days with Council approval
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unpaid annual leave and a percentage of unused medical leave
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Sebastian City Manager Al Minner
Annual base salary: $115,348
Notice of termination: City Commission vote
Severance: Two months of annual salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation time and sick leave
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Sebastian City Attorney Robert Ginsburg
Annual base salary: $200 per hour
Notice of termination: n/a
Severance: n/a
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: n/a
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunnemaker
Annual base salary: $121,000
Notice of termination: 60 days
Severance: Six months of annual salary
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation time
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Fellsmere City Attorney Warren Dill
Annual base salary: $165 per hour
Notice of termination: City Commission vote
Severance: None
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: n/a
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Orchid Town Manager Deb Branwell
Annual base salary: $60,000
Notice of termination: Town Council vote
Severance: One month of salary for every year of employment up to six months
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: All unused vacation and sick leave
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
Orchid Town Attorney Anthony Garganese
Annual base salary: $145 per hour
Notice of termination: 10 days
Severance: None
Retirement: n/a
Lump sum: n/a
Health insurance: n/a
Life insurance: n/a
By George Andreassi, TCPalm.com
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July 13th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Is it any wonder our Government Employees and Organizations and Elected do so little, stray so often, and collect so much tax revenue?
If anyone thinks that any thing less than 70% of every tax dollar is wasted, they need to rethink.
Most people should be happy to keep their job by doing a good job….this culture of get - fired, fail and get-rich, is insane and yet another reason to NEVER increase taxes on the working people of this great nation.
Not all govt is bad but the bad ones seem to have the upper hand for now.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Well this statement is completely false..
“We’re an at-will employee,” Baird said. “We don’t have any rights. We’re not like a regular employee that has property rights where you have to show progressive discipline, you have to show performance. That’s why we have the contract. We can come in one Tuesday and they can say, ‘We just don’t like you any more. Bye.’”
FLORIDA IS A RIGHT TO WORK STATE.. In other words you can be fired at any time for Any reason.. Regardless of weather you are a government worker or not. What a crock of crp.
The Government cant afford to help Schools but we can afford to pay some guy 175k for not even working????? What is wrong with out country?
July 13th, 2009 at 10:57 am
HURRICANE SCAM ALERT!!!
Here’s how it works. You suffer damage to your property. Your insurance company refuses to pay the full amount that it will take to repair your property. Someone recommends a Public Adjuster Claim Service to you. The salesman (who works on commission) states that his company is the best in the business, guarantees that he will get you the additional money that you need to fully repair the damage and will do all of this quickly. All of this is offered for a fee of 20% of the additional money you get when the claim is settled. Out of financial and emotional desperation, you sign their contract. You are now officially scammed.
Be advised that a Public Adjuster Claim Service is nothing more than a licensed insurance salesman. He has no more influence over your insurance company than you do.
Before you sign a Public Adjuster Claim Service contract (they are all from the same “boilerplate”), know that this contract can NEVER be cancelled (after the three-day right to rescind has passed), does not have a termination or expiration date, does not specify what will be specifically provided or delivered, lives on until the claim is settled, cannot be terminated for failure to deliver (breach of contract) and the Public Adjuster Claim Service is legally entitled to receive his fee (because of the contract wording) even if he has nothing to do with the settlement. In fact, he doesn’t have to do a thing to collect his full fee!
In my case, after I signed his contract, it was filed away waiting for someone to settle the claim. It is guaranteed money to the Public Adjuster Claim Service.
The Public Adjuster Claim Service that I contracted with did nothing for seven months – not even call me. I fired them – I thought. I hired an attorney who settled the case/claim 15 months later. Because of the Public Adjuster Claim Service contract, I was still obligated to pay his $19,000 fee.
If this sounds like sour grapes, call the State of Florida Consumer Protection Agency (877-693-5236) and ask them to verify my statements and the reputation of the Public Adjuster Claim Service. The only way to stop this cheating scam is to change the law. Better yet, don’t sign a Public Adjuster Claim Service contract.
Hire an attorney if you need to and don’t let them charge you more than a 20% fee. And a reputable contractor will provide a free quote to repair your damage that can be given to your attorney to forward to your insurance company.
BEWARE. DON’T HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER CLAIM SERVICE. You will be scammed like me.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Good gosh…almost makes you dream of all of the peeps in government vaporizing to another dimension….with them gone, we could start over and stand a fighting chance.
Between all this Govt Entitlement, Firefighter/Police/Judicial/Politico Double Dipping of Pensions, Severance, Overtime.
No wonder the economy crashed. Its been crushed from do-nothings from above.
Who is John Galt?
July 13th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
$121,000 for a city manager’s job??? In Fellesmere???
Are you kidding me??? Are they hiring???
July 14th, 2009 at 8:26 am
we are being sucked dry to feed the fatten calf.not the first one of them deserve the salaries they are being paid.why are the citizens not allowed to vote for the contracts and salaries these people who are suppose to be OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS receive, who does decide these things??I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter. I have no power or control.But at election time we are united and MANY and have a great deal of power.wake up people