Colorado Springs To Pay $108,000 To Retiring Police Chief
The administration of Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach has agreed to a severance package that will pay retiring police chief Richard Myers nearly $110,000 in salary and benefits.
Details of the package were released Monday by Steve Cox, the mayor’s Chief of Staff, a week after Myers announced his retirement.
A release from the city showed that Myers will collect six months in salary ($77,344), unused vacation time ($16,650) and accumulated sick leave ($14,112) for a total of $108,106.
Cox described the package as a standard amount for an outgoing department head. Cox said that whether Myers retired, resigned or was fired had no factor in receiving the package.
“There’s no set policy on that piece of it,” said Cox. “It could be whatever the hiring manager — in this case, the mayor and that department head — negotiate. There’s some flexibility.”
Cox said the severance package doesn’t require City Council approval because Myers was offered no more than half of his annual salary. Councilman Bernie Herpin said the deal seems reasonable.
“The mayor wants to make a change, wants to bring in his own chief,” said Herpin. “That’s not uncommon. So it doesn’t really concern me. We do have to confirm (Myers’ replacement), so we’ll have some say.”
Cox said state personnel law requires a period of one week after a resignation is submitted before details of a severance package becomes public. The delay also gave Myers time to decide whether he would accept the deal, Cox said.
