Selah taxpayers say "No" to shelling out half a million dollars
SELAH -- A standing room only crowd filled Selah City Hall late Tuesday afternoon.
People showed up to tell city council they didn't agree with a proposal to provide "golden parachutes" to the current city supervisor and the police chief. Those deals could cost you more than half a million dollars. Council members backed down for now and put the issue off for another meeting.
It's a debate that could cost the City of Selah hundreds of thousands of dollars. The ordinance would pay both the city supervisor and police chief healthy severance packages if the incoming mayor fires them. City Supervisor Frank Sweet submitted the proposal weeks before current Mayor Bob Jones leaves office.
"It takes away all kind of authority from the position that we have been told for the last 16 years, rest in the hands of the person who's the mayor," said mayor-elect John Gawlik.
The proposal would pay Sweet four years of salary plus benefits if he lost his job. He now makes more than $100,000 a year. Sweet would get close to half a million dollars if fired.
"That kind of amount of money would seriously jeopardize the continued operation of the city of Selah," said Gawlik.
Council Member Allen Schmid sees the other side of it. He feels city employees need some kind of protection.
"You can't just fire people because you don't like them," said Schmid.
Sweet would be able to choose whether to be paid all at once or over time. The severance package for Selah Police Chief Stacy Dwarshuis would be similar. However, he would only get six months of salary and benefits or about $40,000.
These terms also apply to anyone who has these jobs in the future.
Council members said the severance package issue will be brought back for debate on December 27th.
People showed up to tell city council they didn't agree with a proposal to provide "golden parachutes" to the current city supervisor and the police chief. Those deals could cost you more than half a million dollars. Council members backed down for now and put the issue off for another meeting.
It's a debate that could cost the City of Selah hundreds of thousands of dollars. The ordinance would pay both the city supervisor and police chief healthy severance packages if the incoming mayor fires them. City Supervisor Frank Sweet submitted the proposal weeks before current Mayor Bob Jones leaves office.
"It takes away all kind of authority from the position that we have been told for the last 16 years, rest in the hands of the person who's the mayor," said mayor-elect John Gawlik.
The proposal would pay Sweet four years of salary plus benefits if he lost his job. He now makes more than $100,000 a year. Sweet would get close to half a million dollars if fired.
"That kind of amount of money would seriously jeopardize the continued operation of the city of Selah," said Gawlik.
Council Member Allen Schmid sees the other side of it. He feels city employees need some kind of protection.
"You can't just fire people because you don't like them," said Schmid.
Sweet would be able to choose whether to be paid all at once or over time. The severance package for Selah Police Chief Stacy Dwarshuis would be similar. However, he would only get six months of salary and benefits or about $40,000.
These terms also apply to anyone who has these jobs in the future.
Council members said the severance package issue will be brought back for debate on December 27th.
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