Saanich Police Chief Bob Downie retired July 31, collecting a farewell cheque for $379,000 in severance and banked pay. The next day, he went back to work in his old job as a contractor, paid $223,000 plus benefits. That’s 56 per cent higher than the compensation for Saanich’s chief a decade ago — more than triple the increase in the cost of living during that period. As a contractor, Downie can collect his pension at the same time.
This is not just a Saanich issue. It’s a symptom of a deeper disconnect.
When most Canadians retire, their employers do not give them large payouts. Most employees in the private sector don’t have workplace pensions. They are certainly not back on the job next day, being paid more to do the same work.
This should not be about bashing public-sector workers, who are as dedicated as their peers in the private sector. And rather than complain reflexively about issues such as public-sector pensions, we should consider the damage done by the erosion of workplace plans that once provided retirement security for many more Canadian workers.
But the Saanich case is a symbol of a troubling gap between the working life of some in the public sector and taxpayers who have a very different experience.
Take the $379,000 severance payment, made even though Downie was voluntarily retiring. The police board has not provided a breakdown, or a clear explanation. Mayor Richard Atwell referred to time banked over Downie’s 35 years with the department. But the collective agreement limits banking of holidays, and it’s unclear just how the amount climbed so high. Taxpayers — who do not have similar options — need information.
It’s also still unclear why the police board agreed to this course of action. It should not have come as a surprise that a chief with more than 30 years on the job and a generous pension would consider retirement.
Yet the police board apparently does not have a succession plan. Did it ask Downie to continue to work for six months while a replacement was found? Did it consider appointing an officer within the department as acting chief?
Part of the problem lies with the lack of accountability of police boards in British Columbia. Across the province, the majority of police-board members are provincial government appointees; in Saanich, only the mayor is an elected official.
In this case, the board has provided no clear explanation and, in fact, didn’t reveal the agreement until Sept. 12, six weeks after the Aug. 1 effective date.
Is this a good deal for Saanich? Taxpayers don’t have the information needed to allow them to make a decision. But they do know that they are paying for a package that appears far more favourable than they could ever hope for in their own working lives.
