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Top brass got payouts at sheriff's office

Administrators got comp pay while deputies made concessions, FOP says.

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer 1:46 AM Wednesday, March 3, 2010

HAMILTON — On Dec. 23, Butler County sheriff’s Maj. Norman Lewis received a paycheck for $12,986.72.

Part of this was his regular two-week salary of $3,407.76. Other parts were one-time payouts of $3,769 for unused vacation time and $5,282 in accrued overtime.

Lewis was one of 16 sheriff’s office administrators to receive comp time and vacation payouts at the end of the year, which officials say isn’t done every year.

In February, the sheriff’s office laid off five deputies and 10 corrections officers because of budget shortfalls.

Last week, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 101 cried foul, noting that the layoffs came after deputies gave up more than $300,000 in benefits to save their fellow deputies’ jobs.

“Union employees are questioning the timing of those payouts to employees whose salaries reached into the $100,000 annual salary range plus the payouts,” Sgt. Jeff Gebhart, president of the FOP, wrote in a statement from the union.

“Some of the deputies that gave up concessions salaries were in the $38,000-year range,” he wrote. “We believe that those fiduciary employees should not have been given the payouts from the same budget that individuals gave concessions from.”

Gebhart said more deputies are needed on the streets, following Sheriff Richard K. Jones’ warning that deep budget cuts erode public safety.

The top brass at the sheriff’s office have contracts that stipulate how they’re paid, according to Vickie Barger, sheriff’s office finance director.

She said the chief deputy, majors and captains accrue an automatic six hours of “on call” time per pay period instead of overtime. They are only allowed to cash out up to 40 hours on years when the sheriff deems it affordable, along with accrued vacation.

The exception this year was Lewis, she said, who was paid out all his accrued comp time and vacation because he planned to retire in February. But he then stayed on when Maj. William Stump resigned.

Deputies, on the other hand, are paid overtime as they get it or can accrue it and cash out in the spring, she said.

“The deputy sheriffs get payouts, too,” said Jones, adding it was vacation and comp time the administrators had earned.

“It was time they had coming to them,” he said. “I didn’t let them take much vacation last year. It was a very bad year.”

“I understand their (the FOP’s) concerns,” he added. “These are tough times.”

Payouts were of varying amounts

At the end of 2009, the Butler County sheriff’s office gave payouts for unused overtime and vacation time to 16 administrative workers, according to records obtained from the county auditor’s office.

These payouts ranged from $714 to $9,051.

They were also criticized by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 101 for coming after deputies gave up more than $300,000 in benefits and before 15 deputies and corrections officers were laid off.

Sheriff’s office employees making over $60,000 a year who received a payout

Name Title Total 2009 pay Payout amount

Vickie Barger, Finance director,$85,203, $1,497

Matt Franke, Communication Specialist, $84,594, $1,546

Garry Day, Children Services investigator, $68,669, $1,250

Norman Lewis, Major, $147,392, $9,051

Kathryn McMahon, Captain, $99,273, $1,792

William Stump, Major, $105,369, $1,893

Pamela Stroup, Secretary, $60,216, $1,080

Source: Butler County Auditor’s Office payroll records

Other sheriff’s office employees who received an end of year payout

Name Amount of payout