City policy allowed $100,000 sick and vacation payout
With pay and termination benefits under the microscope last week for St Johns County Administrator Michael Wanchick, Historic City News found poorly worded employment policies at City Hall that allowed a recent retiree to collect over $100,000 as a cash payout for unused sick leave and vacation pay.
City and county governments all have limits on the amount of severance compensation that can be paid to an employee for unused sick leave and vacation pay — except the City of St Augustine.
As highlighted in a January 3rd memo to county commissioners from Stacey Stanish, Director of Administrative and Support Services, although Wanchick has accrued 997.54 hours of vacation as of December 17, 2016, he would be held to a “maximum of 320 hours upon separation”, consistent with senior management vacation limits. In accordance with the St Johns County Administrative Code, accrued vacation leave may be paid upon separation of employment, but shall not exceed 320 hours.
That policy, and 320-hour limit, are consistent with neighboring cities and counties, after checking Flagler and Putnam counties as well as the City of Palm Coast and the City of Palatka.
In contrast, at the City of St Augustine, under the current HR Policies obtained by Historic City News, inconsistent use of terms like “maximum” and conflicting terms like “maximum plus” make any full-time employee of the City able to accrue an unlimited amount of sick leave and vacation time credit and redeem it for cash when they leave.
Per Donna Hayes, the City’s Human Resources Director, the confusion appears to be between the understanding that she and her staff have about how separation benefits “have always been paid”, the way that they are accounted for in MUNIS, the accounting software used by her department, and wording in the policies which has been “patched” over the years and now is subject to interpretation.
For example, under the most liberal interpretation of City employment policy, when Loran Lueders separated on November 30, 2016, the Human Resources Department ordered that he be paid for 615.6 hours of accumulated vacation time (plus an additional 12.3 hours of accrued vacation) in addition to a whopping 1,257.8 hours of accumulated sick leave (plus an additional 6.2 hours of accrued sick leave). After adjustments, he was paid for just over 1,885 hours.
Using a $53.24 per hour base rate, Lueders received a lump sum payout of $100,402.33 for his unused vacation and sick leave benefits. Retiring as chief of police, a position he held since November 8, 2004 when former chief, David Shoar, was elected sheriff, Lueders earned $110,746.79 annually as a salary — plus executive level benefits.
- But at the county, as clarified during last Tuesday’s commission meeting, Wanchick’s accrued vacation balance of 971.694 hours (as of December 31) had a value of $99,958.16 — but only if taken as time. Stanish explained that because of the 320-hour maximum provided under County policy, Wanchick could only be paid a maximum of $32,918.40.
- Likewise, Stanish explained, Wanchick’s accrued sick leave balance of 752.694 hours (as of December 31) had a monetary value of $77,437.14 — but, again, only if taken as time. Being more restrictive than vacation time, the County limits cash payouts of sick leave to one-fourth of the current balance up to a maximum of 300-hours, or $19,359.20 in Wanchick’s case.
Finally, despite being a management employee (excluded from the labor agreement that governs regular police officers) and being a “salaried” employee (excluded from “overtime”), Lueders was also paid $5,032 in overtime based on the city manager’s declaration of a “state of emergency” during Hurricane Matthew.
CITY EMPLOYEES WHO CURRENTLY HAVE 300-HOURS OR MORE SICK LEAVE:
Last name | First name | Department | Type | Available |
HARRINGTON | MARK | GEN SERVCS | SICK LEAVE | 1026.80 |
MCCAULLEY | PATRICK | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 1024.80 |
PARTIN | JOHN | PUBLIC WRK | SICK LEAVE | 990.80 |
LANGFORD | SHARON | VIC | SICK LEAVE | 948.80 |
LAW | BRETT | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 868.17 |
STEPHENS | LEE | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 835.24 |
PROTAMI | WILLIAM | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 817.10 |
HENNESSEY | JOSHUA | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 814.67 |
TRUNCELLITO | JEFFREY | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 771.90 |
HALEY | LESTER | UTILITIES | SICK LEAVE | 753.30 |
GRAHAM | SCOTT | FBM | SICK LEAVE | 747.50 |
SCHUYLER-VETTER | SUZANNA | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 734.30 |
STARK | KEVIN | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 695.17 |
BETTS | JOHN | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 685.23 |
VON BRETZEL | JAMES | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 679.80 |
PUTZ | CHARLENE | PUBLIC WRK | SICK LEAVE | 673.80 |
MASCHI | MICHAEL | GEN SERVCS | SICK LEAVE | 625.30 |
NIEDERRITER | JOHN | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 592.90 |
TROUTMAN | LAURIE | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 573.80 |
BOJKO | JOAN | VIC | SICK LEAVE | 567.20 |
MOSCOSO | ANDRES | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 550.17 |
GRAHAM | MARTHA | UTILITIES | SICK LEAVE | 529.20 |
PAGANO | MICHAEL | UTILITIES | SICK LEAVE | 522.00 |
WRIGHT | STEVE | PUBLIC WRK | SICK LEAVE | 520.40 |
JACOBS | DIANNE | GEN SERVCS | SICK LEAVE | 518.60 |
KELLER | GREGORY | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 503.07 |
LITZINGER | MARK | FBM | SICK LEAVE | 494.80 |
FOX | BARRY | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 493.80 |
CUSHMAN | CHARLES | GEN SERVCS | SICK LEAVE | 483.80 |
MICHAUX | JENNIFER | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 482.30 |
SKIPP | GLABRA | UTILITIES | SICK LEAVE | 474.50 |
SNIDER | RUTH | VIC | SICK LEAVE | 467.20 |
BOLES | CURTIS | PLAN/BLDG | SICK LEAVE | 451.40 |
OBERHOLZER | HARDUS | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 430.86 |
FOREMAN | DIANE | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 427.70 |
BROWN | BRETT | UTILITIES | SICK LEAVE | 399.30 |
MCKENZIE | JOSHUA | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 393.56 |
MANGELS | CHARLES | PUBLIC WRK | SICK LEAVE | 389.55 |
FRASCA | BRIAN | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 385.30 |
SHIELDS | TIMOTHY | GEN SERVCS | SICK LEAVE | 383.80 |
FOUNTAIN | ERA | CITY MGR | SICK LEAVE | 370.60 |
HINES | MICHAEL | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 359.30 |
SEYMOUR | BRANDON | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 358.75 |
FERRELL | WAYNE | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 350.30 |
LINSKY | MICHAEL | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 347.50 |
CYR | DAVID | UTILITIES | SICK LEAVE | 337.30 |
HAYES | DONNA | GEN SERVCS | SICK LEAVE | 334.90 |
LEVERETT | JASON | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 333.82 |
CARROLL | KEVIN | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 333.80 |
SHORE | CODY | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 328.15 |
MARSHALL | ROBIN | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 326.90 |
WEILAND | PETER | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 319.06 |
PURTILL | EDWARD | FIRE | SICK LEAVE | 316.80 |
BURCHFIELD | TIMOTHY | CITY MGR | SICK LEAVE | 313.30 |
LUI | DANIEL | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 312.30 |
SHIRSHIKOVA | ALINA | POLICE | SICK LEAVE | 308.50 |
CABRERA | RICHARD | FBM | SICK LEAVE | 300.80 |
CITY EMPLOYEES WHO CURRENTLY HAVE 320-HOURS OR MORE VACATION TIME:
Last name | First name | Department | Type | Available |
HENNESSEY | JOSHUA | FIRE | VACATION | 902.40 |
LAW | BRETT | FIRE | VACATION | 863.32 |
STEPHENS | LEE | FIRE | VACATION | 843.06 |
STARK | KEVIN | FIRE | VACATION | 772.25 |
BETTS | JOHN | FIRE | VACATION | 696.18 |
LEVERETT | JASON | FIRE | VACATION | 683.33 |
FITTIPALDI | MICHAEL | FIRE | VACATION | 650.82 |
BURCHFIELD | TIMOTHY | CITY MGR | VACATION | 596.31 |
MILLER | CHRIS | POLICE | VACATION | 592.00 |
PURTILL | EDWARD | FIRE | VACATION | 580.90 |
REGAN | JOHN | CITY MGR | VACATION | 560.00 |
TRUNCELLITO | JEFFREY | POLICE | VACATION | 557.89 |
HALEY | LESTER | UTILITIES | VACATION | 556.00 |
MASTERS | CARL | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 549.75 |
BIRCHIM | DAVID | PLAN/BLDG | VACATION | 546.15 |
HARRINGTON | MARK | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 544.85 |
MCKENZIE | JOSHUA | FIRE | VACATION | 541.86 |
LANGFORD | SHARON | VIC | VACATION | 541.69 |
CYR | DAVID | UTILITIES | VACATION | 537.00 |
FOREMAN | DIANE | POLICE | VACATION | 532.23 |
NIEDERRITER | JOHN | POLICE | VACATION | 520.96 |
KELLER | GREGORY | FIRE | VACATION | 517.11 |
MIER | STEVEN | UTILITIES | VACATION | 515.39 |
VON BRETZEL | JAMES | FIRE | VACATION | 514.33 |
FOX | BARRY | POLICE | VACATION | 513.32 |
DAVISON | PAUL | UTILITIES | VACATION | 512.62 |
MCCAULLEY | PATRICK | POLICE | VACATION | 507.40 |
HALE | GORDON | UTILITIES | VACATION | 505.21 |
CARTER | JAMES | UTILITIES | VACATION | 504.00 |
PAGANO | MICHAEL | UTILITIES | VACATION | 500.92 |
CUSHMAN | CHARLES | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 497.54 |
MASCHI | MICHAEL | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 495.15 |
BERUBE | JAMES | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 494.83 |
HALBIRT | CARL | PLAN/BLDG | VACATION | 493.92 |
CASTAING | MICHAEL | POLICE | VACATION | 493.50 |
MOSCOSO | ANDRES | FIRE | VACATION | 489.41 |
BOLES | CURTIS | PLAN/BLDG | VACATION | 488.00 |
HILL | LENA | FBM | VACATION | 485.35 |
SHIELDS | TIMOTHY | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 471.69 |
BOJKO | JOAN | VIC | VACATION | 470.16 |
SCHUYLER-VETTER | SUZANNA | POLICE | VACATION | 464.31 |
SPEED | THADDEUS | UTILITIES | VACATION | 460.46 |
BROOKINS | RICHARD | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 448.46 |
KING | ARTHUR | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 440.22 |
LUI | DANIEL | POLICE | VACATION | 438.70 |
HILL | LENA | VIC | VACATION | 434.94 |
MOREHEAD | DAVID | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 424.62 |
ALBIN | KAREN | UTILITIES | VACATION | 424.05 |
EVANS | NATHAN | FIRE | VACATION | 423.36 |
MARSHALL | ROBIN | POLICE | VACATION | 420.49 |
VALARO | MICHAEL | UTILITIES | VACATION | 419.55 |
AVILES | CARLOS | FIRE | VACATION | 417.35 |
CLARK | TODD | FBM | VACATION | 411.74 |
SANTON | WILLIAM | UTILITIES | VACATION | 410.52 |
MANGELS | CHARLES | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 410.28 |
LA POINTE | JAMES | UTILITIES | VACATION | 406.28 |
REAMES | TERRY | UTILITIES | VACATION | 405.92 |
BROWN | JO LINDA | FIRE | VACATION | 405.17 |
TROUTMAN | LAURIE | POLICE | VACATION | 404.05 |
NEASE | RONALD | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 401.55 |
LITZINGER | MARK | FBM | VACATION | 393.54 |
SARGENT | TED | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 389.43 |
EMBREY | DARRICK | POLICE | VACATION | 387.95 |
MICHAUX | JENNIFER | POLICE | VACATION | 386.24 |
LEMKE | ROBERT | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 383.48 |
SHORE | CODY | FIRE | VACATION | 378.23 |
TIMMONS | ZACHARY | FIRE | VACATION | 376.80 |
MCCALL | RONALD | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 363.21 |
SPARROW | LORENZO | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 357.40 |
GRIFFIN | JONATHAN | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 356.55 |
BRADLEY | GUERRY | FIRE | VACATION | 346.90 |
TAYLOR | ABIGAIL | FIRE | VACATION | 343.51 |
DELANEY | RICHARD | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 333.63 |
MAY | MAE | VIC | VACATION | 332.46 |
ADUKIEWICZ | SAMUEL | GEN SERVCS | VACATION | 325.78 |
SMITH | WILLIAM | PUBLIC WRK | VACATION | 324.01 |
MARTIN | EVAN | POLICE | VACATION | 323.08 |
OBERHOLZER | HARDUS | FIRE | VACATION | 322.05 |
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