Saskatoon’s former police chief, Clive Weighill, received a hefty payout of approximately $429,000 after his retirement, according to recent reports.
Weighill, who served as the city’s top cop for 11 years, retired in February 2018. His retirement package included a combination of unused vacation and sick time, as well as a severance payment.
The exact breakdown of the payout is as follows: $200,000 for unused vacation time, $100,000 for unused sick time, and $129,000 as a severance payment.
This news has sparked some controversy, with some questioning the amount of money being paid out to a retired public servant. However, according to the city’s human resources director, the payout is in line with the terms of Weighill’s employment contract.
In addition, the city’s mayor, Charlie Clark, has defended the payout, stating that it is a common practice for senior executives in the public sector to receive such payouts upon retirement.
Weighill’s successor, Troy Cooper, also received a similar payout of approximately $400,000 when he retired from his previous position as the chief of police in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
It is worth noting that Weighill’s retirement package is not uncommon in the public sector. In fact, a recent report by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation found that 1,200 public sector employees in Saskatchewan received payouts of over $100,000 in 2017-2018.
Despite the controversy surrounding the payout, Weighill’s tenure as police chief was marked by numerous accomplishments, including a decrease in crime rates and the implementation of community-based policing initiatives.
In conclusion, while the amount of money paid out to Weighill may seem excessive to some, it is within the terms of his employment contract and is a common practice in the public sector.
