When Col. Tim Gillette was ousted from his job with the Broward Sheriff’s Office this month as part of a transition to a new sheriff, he left with the paycheck of a lifetime: $340,653.
During his 36-year career with BSO, Gillette accrued 3,378.53 hours of sick time and 963.19 of vacation time — the equivalent of more than two years, when combined.
Gillette was one of 16 BSO employees who received wage payouts of more than $100,000 when they left BSO as Sheriff Al Lamberti’s tenure came to an end in January, according to BSO payout records as of the Jan. 18th payroll. In all, the agency anticipates it will pay $4.3 million to 53 employees for unused time off and sick days. The second highest amount was about $175,000.
Gillette, who earned about $163,000 a year, was one of 28 high-ranking officials who received notice in December from incoming Sheriff’s Scott Israel’s transition team that they were fired. By that point, additional higher-ups in the department had already announced they would go. Gillette’s earnings were $340,653.52 and, minus taxes and other deductions, his net pay was $223,808.56. Efforts to reach Gillette were not successful. Read more here.
The payouts are one more source of fighting between Lamberti and Israel and we suspect that we will hear more about this when Scott comes before the Broward County Commission with his budget request in a few months. One question we couldn't immediately answer: when Israel retired from Fort Lauderdale police department as a captain in 2004, what was his departing check? We are awaiting word back from Fort Lauderedale police. Israel told us in an interview that he didn't recall the amount but that it wasn't anywhere close to $340,000. We asked him if it was six-figures and he didn't sound certain, hesitated as he thought about it and said "I'm going to have to say no."
Where is the outrage from all the fiscal conservatives now???
Posted by: Broward Dem | January 23, 2013 at 11:30 AM
If you don’t use it, you lose it! Try to keep your annually alloted sick days year after year. There have to be caps on payouts because sick day pay is for covering your butt when you get sick, not for making a deal with your boss to pay you a lump sum when you leave the job. And Gillette was fired! Al Lamberti kept Sheriff Scott Israel out of the BSO before Jan. 8 because he (Lamberti)was giving away taxpayer money. Such a huge payout to Gillette makes me wonder if Lamberti got a kick-back from these big payouts.
Posted by: Robin Hilliard | January 23, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Lamberti's fired BSO officers get golden parachutes. We taxpayers get golden showers. Doesn’t this payout thing just SCREAM kickbacks?
Posted by: Lady Yehenara | January 23, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Lamberti leaves a legacy of lording over a department infused with thuggery, homophobia, greed, cronyism and criminal associations. Lamberti is outstanding in his lack of concern for the citizens of Broward County and boy, did he let us know! I’m sure Sheriff Israel will review and change the sick day payout policy so it is fair to BSO employees but doesn’t rip off county tax payers.
Posted by: Lamont Eason | January 23, 2013 at 01:33 PM