Top cop’s severance upsets Saanich council

Atwell criticized for keeping elected officials in the dark

Saanich councillors are disappointed the mayor kept them in the dark about Police Chief Bob Downie’s generous severance package and two-year employment contract.

The police board revealed in September that Downie received nearly $380,000 in severance when he retired on July 31. Downie was then rehired on a two-year contract for $222,711 a year, about $10,000 more annually than his previous salary.

Acting mayor Fred Haynes said the council was blindsided by that decision, which it learned of through media reports.

Haynes said that as chair of the police board, Mayor Richard Atwell should have let council know about his plans to keep Downie as top cop.

“Council felt given its role in managing the budget of the municipality, and the hope for transparency, that matters of that importance would have been communicated to council prior to the media release,” Haynes said.

Councillors have received a deluge of emails and phone calls from citizens unhappy about the severance package.

“The residents of Saanich didn’t have full information for where the responsibility lies for the employment contract for the chief of police,” Haynes said. “It lies exclusively with the mayor, as the chair of the police board, and the police board.”

All seven councillors have signed a letter to Atwell and the police board expressing their concern and asking for better communication between the board and council.

Releasing the letter to the media was a “political move” by councillors concerned about their chances of re-election, Atwell told the Times Colonist. “We don’t need to be firing salvos back and forth through press releases. I don’t think that serves anyone’s interest,” Atwell said.

He said the councillors’ action underscores why the police board, which oversees financial and operational decisions of the police department, is independent from Saanich council. “We need to run an efficient police department and run it for the benefit of the citizens.”

The Saanich police board is composed of civilian members appointed by the province. The board is not required to get council’s approval for personnel decisions. As mayor, Atwell is automatically the chair of the police board.

Atwell said rehiring Downie on a two-year contract will save taxpayers money because the chief will no longer be accumulating retirement allowances.

He said the banked time and severance pay provided to Downie under his contract was negotiated under former mayor Frank Leonard.