by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
From the mayor’s office to City Council to local editorial pages, there’s been no shortage of opinions regarding the mayor’s request to reappoint Fire Chief Rick Barrett following a mandatory retirement. Monday, Barrett made his first public comments about his pension, the importance of experienced leadership and the possibility of leaving Jacksonville.
Answering questions for the first time since Mayor John Peyton asked the City Council three weeks ago to allow the chief to collect a pension and a paycheck, Barrett said the Council’s decision would determine whether the City could hire its most experienced personnel for its top public safety post.
“It’s not about me, and it’s not about money,” said Barrett, following the Council’s Finance Committee meeting. “It’s about the position.”
Like many in the department, Barrett volunteered to retire early in exchange for a lump-sum payment of money diverted from his pension account. The Deferred Retirement Option Program is designed to clear out a top-heavy department, saving money and allowing the City to better plan for replacements. The DROP will pay Barrett more than $300,000 when he retires in July.
Peyton is asking the Council to allow him to hire Barrett back at an annual salary of $120,000. That would be paid in addition to a $60,000 yearly pension. Several Council members have said they oppose the double payments, but Barrett said a single exception was necessary to allow the City to choose a chief from the department’s most experienced members.
He said “everybody” in the department is signing up for the DROP. Unless an exception for the chief is allowed, Barrett said 30-year veterans like himself would be kept out of the job.
Both Barrett and Peyton realized the chief’s retirement was only a year away when the mayor picked Barrett last July to lead the department. At that time, Barrett said he had the option to remove himself from the DROP, but he decided the financial penalty was too severe. Dropping out of the program would have cost Barrett the $300,000.
If the Council grants an exception, Barrett said he would either donate his pension to charity while he serves as chief or lower his salary by the same amount. Staying on as chief, Barrett said, wouldn’t cost taxpayers any more than hiring someone else while paying Barrett’s pension.
Barrett said he had already been offered a chief’s job in another Florida county. He said he would consider taking it if he’s not allowed to continue as chief in Jacksonville.
The prospect of losing the City’s chief safety officer seven months before the Super Bowl doesn’t sit well with the mayor’s office nor several Council members who voiced support for Barrett on Monday.
“It seems to me we can find some middle ground on this,” said Council member Suzanne Jenkins. “I see a man who wants to serve the city, not just for the Super Bowl, but in leading homeland security efforts as well.”
Others, including Finance Committee chair Warren Alvarez, said Barrett had made a decision to retire last year and should be held to his commitment. An exception would set an uncertain precedent to hundreds of police and fire personnel scheduled to retire as part of the DROP in coming years, they said.
“Everybody is replaceable,” said Alvarez. “There’s five or six men who can do the chief’s job.”
The Finance Committee deferred a vote on Peyton’s request pending review from the Council auditor and the Police and Fire Pension Board. The committee will likely vote on the proposal later this month.