Hughes’ severance package tops $65K, including $38K for unused sick time
Payout includes $38K for unused sick time
YOUNGSTOWN
Retired Police Chief Jimmy Hughes will receive a $65,539.69 severance from the city for unused sick, accumulated compensation and vacation time as well as longevity and hazardous-duty pay.
The board of control approved the payout Thursday to Hughes, who retired Sept. 1 after 51/2 years as chief and more than 34 years on the force.
The biggest payout to the form-er chief was $37,959.54 for 902 hours of unused sick time.
After employees leave city jobs, they receive an amount equal to 35 percent of their hourly wage for unused sick time. All other severance payments are at 100 percent.
Hughes will receive $15,655.64 for accumulated compensation time and $9,805.92 for unused vacation time.
The former chief also will receive $1,600 in longevity pay — an annual bonus given for years of service with management employees receiving $64 a year for every year of city service up to 25 years — and $517.59 in hazardous-duty pay, a bonus given to all police officers and firefighters regardless of rank.
“It’s the way contracts are,” said Mayor Charles Sammarone, chairman of the board of control. “They’ve got [the severance payouts] coming. Depending on SB 5, that might change.”
Sammarone was referring to a state issue on the Nov. 8 ballot that looks to overturn a law, passed earlier this year, that restricts collective-bargaining for public employees. Sammarone says collective bargaining should be reviewed for potential improvements, but he opposes just taking those rights away from public employees without talks with those workers.
In addition to the severance, Hughes will receive more than $500,000 for his retirement through a state retirement program, according to calculations from the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund, which runs that program. He’ll also get his pension.
Also, the board of control approved a $62,138.32 severance Thursday to Frank J. Rosa, who also retired Sept. 1 after 37 years in the fire department. Rosa’s last position was battalion chief.
Rosa’s biggest payout was $46,391.44 for 1,732 hours of unused sick time.
He also will receive $13,775.96 for unused vacation time, $1,445 in longevity pay, $483.92 for hazardous-duty pay, $248.02 in bonus pay for working extra days and $113.83 in accumulated compensation time. Deducted from his severance was $319.85 the city paid him for uniforms.