The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board| Palm Beach Post
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Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has some explaining to do. At a time when many of his constituents suffer under the high cost of living, Bradshaw seems OK with handing his top execs grossly inflated retirement perks. A Palm Beach Post investigation found four retirement payouts that totaled $2 million, a figure expected to grow as more of the department's top brass reach retirement age and opt to cash out.
The worst example: Michael Gauger, the former chief deputy who's now running against Bradshaw for sheriff, received $743,000 in administrative leave benefits, in addition to the $110,000 for unused sick leave and vacation time. "I think it's too much," he told Post reporter Andrew Marra, before acknowledging the obvious. "Of course, I benefitted."
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The benefits, a sheriff's spokeswoman told Marra, are needed to retain talented leadership. The Post Editorial Board offered the sheriff an opportunity to elaborate, in hopes of learning why PBSO chose to add administrative benefits as a bankable retirement bonus. Why not just offer merit-based bonuses? Doesn't his practice violate state law that says bonuses must be based on work requirements and open to all employees?
To date, crickets.
The solution is obvious. Revise the program. Dial back the administrative leave to bring the retirement benefits to a competitive but reasonable level. The top executives in neighboring Broward and Martin counties don't receive accrued leave time as retirement benefits. Neither do the top brass at other county constitutional offices, like the clerk of the courts, property appraiser, public defender or the supervisor of elections.
Granted, police work isn't easy and can be dangerous, and county taxpayers agree PBSO employees should be well compensated. However, the agency's executive retirement plan is excessive. The sheer size makes its generosity look like a grift.
Retirement plan for PBSO brass exorbitant
There's no doubt that PBSO treats its 4,500 employees well, based on the agency's retirement benefits alone. For those deputies with 20 years with the department, the bonus amounts to 2 3/4 weeks of pay for each year of work. It's a lot better for the top brass, though.
The early executive staff retirement perk was a straightforward bonus in which PBSO's top executives got benefits based upon years of service. In 2021, Bradshaw did away with direct retirement bonuses. PBSO employees who hold the rank of colonel and higher, along with civilian department directors, still get regular vacation and sick time accrued to their retirement packages but also receive a one-time, 850 hours of paid leave, an amount worth about five months of pay. Executive team members also receive an additional block of administrative leave time for each additional year served.
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Unused vacation, sick leave, plus the accumulated administrative leave benefits do add up. Why Bradshaw made this change remains a mystery, one he should clear up as a candidate for re-election in the August primary. Financial management is an issue, especially when his department's annual budget eats up more than half of the county's total. And voters would like to hear what Bradshaw has to say, since this is coming at their expense.
Unfortunately, the sheriff has a little luxury in not having to detail his agency's ever-growing budget. Voters typically have no problem when it comes to spending their tax dollars fighting crime and ensuring security. PBSO remains a huge part of the county budget, and although county administrators have warned that PBSO expenses are crowding out other county government initiatives, there's little pushback to the sheriff's budget requests. County commissioners only get broad overview of PBSO spending plans, and if they deny the agency's budget requests, the sheriff can go over their heads by appealing directly to the Florida Cabinet.
The sheriff's budget grew by more than 6% this year, to $877 million. Inflationary trends are expected, but county residents would be justified at balking at any future budget requests from the sheriff's office that include the exorbitant retirement perks.
If Bradshaw can't justify the golden parachutes for his top executives, he should cut the benefits.
