Escambia County Administrator Bob McLaughlin has added to the Board of County Commissioners agenda for its March 5 regular meeting a resolution for the “Separation Incentive Program.”
It’s on the Consent Agenda – which means the BOCC did not have an opportunity to discuss the plan at its last Committee of the Whole. Consent agenda is normally for items that require little discussion, and I don’t think this qualifies as a “little discussion” item.
McLaughlin is presenting this as an extension of the 2008 plan that cost about $2.8 million for 50 employees. The Management & Budget Services Bureau Chief, Amy Lovoy, wrote the cover memo, which gives no dollar amount for the 2009 version.
The new program includes Clerk of the Circuit Court (non-court programs),Supervisor of Election, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and Sheriff if they wish to participate.
Qualified employees must have the following characteristics:
—Must be at least 50 years of age OR have 30 years of service (25 years for high risk).
—At least 6 of these years must be with the Board of County Commissioners or their respective elected official
—Must be a permanent full-time employee
—Cannot be in the last year of DROP.
The incentive is equal to 2 weeks of straight-time pay and health benefits (at the same rate as actual employees) per year of creditable service in the Florida Retirement System (FRS). All incentives are capped at a maximum of 1 year’s salary and 1 year’s benefits regardless of the length of service.
For every person who receives the separation incentive at least one full-time position and an equal amount of personnel dollars must be eliminated. For example, if a person with a salary of $45,000 receives a buyout; then salaries in the overall organization must be reduced by at least
$45,000.