The Bethany City Council reversed a decision made last week to pay $4,472 in accrued benefits to former City Administrator Jan Hagler who left her job during a heated council meeting at City Hall on May 16, 2016.
The council had voted last week to compensate Hagler for unpaid sick days that she had accumulated over the past several years. Westward Alderman Randy Brejnik was the only member of the board voting against the settlement.
The council met at a special meeting last Thursday night to reconsider the sick leave payment.
Joanne Slemons, the current city administrator, said the city at the time “did not have clear guidance” on requirements to pay accrued benefits on persons resigning or retiring from their positions in good standing. “You may not have voted the same if you had full information on the matter,” Slemons suggested to the council.
Brejnik had complained about the circumstances in which Hagler abruptly left her job without providing notice to the city within the required three days or giving timely notice that she intended to retire.
City Attorney Tara Walker reviewed the city’s policy manual and found that “you have a clear cut policy” that would have prevented Hagler from receiving benefits. She said this may cause a problem with other city employees who have left their jobs.
Mayor Dick Graner said he believes that Hagler deserved the sick pay because she came back to her position to help in the transition when Slemons was hired as administrator.
“The fact that bothers me is that we went to her and hired her back,” Graner said.
Westward Alderman Steve Miles was serving as mayor pro-tem during the transition and asked Hagler to come back and help the city.
“The city owes her a vote of gratitude for coming back in a hostile situation,” Miles said.
Miles’ fellow council members Randy Brejnik, Gene Ishmael and Todd Williams voted to rescind the payment of benefits to Hagler.