Cincinnati council OK’s severance for manager – if he quits

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati's council has approved an eight-month severance package for its embattled manager – if he decides to resign.

The 7-1 vote today for an estimated $174,000 came a day after a proposed 18-month package worth some $423,000 fell one vote short. City Manager Harry Black on Wednesday apologized to Mayor John Cranley and anyone else he has offended and said he’d like to continue as manager, expecting “many more successes.”

Cranley has pushed for Black’s ouster, saying he has had a pattern of unprofessional behavior, such as a strip club visit by Black and three city police officers during a business trip two years ago.

The standoff between the two strong-willed government leaders is in its fourth week.