Bauer must wait to collect separation pay

Former Bainbridge Island city manager Brenda Bauer won’t see the first payment from her severance package until mid-June, according to city officials.

Former Bainbridge Island city manager Brenda Bauer won’t see the first payment from her severance package until mid-June, according to city officials.

Bauer was fired by the city council on March 14. Under the terms of her separation agreement with the city, she will receive monthly payments based on her salary starting in June.

As city manager, Bauer earned an annual salary of $150,000. Her separation agreement guarantees her six months of salary, or $75,000.

Including benefits, the total six-month cost to the city for severance pay and benefits is estimated at approximately $102,000, according to Deputy City Clerk Christine Brown. That amount includes federal taxes, retirement and health benefits.

The severance package includes reimbursement for unused vacation pay, which will be paid up to a cap of 320 hours.

Bauer had more than 320 hours in accrued vacation time, but her vacation pay cash-out will total roughly $23,000.

Her vacation hours are still stacking up.

As of April 10, Bauer had more than 250 hours of vacation pay, eight hours for a floating holiday, management leave totaling 40 hours and another 40 hours of furlough vacation. She will also continue to accrue vacation — eight hours each month — in April and May through her official separation date in mid-June.

Bauer’s separation salary pay will total less than $102,000, due to taxes on her salary.

The former manager will not receive severance payments until June because Bauer is still classified as a city employee and is still within the 90-day-notice period for her separation.

Bauer will be officially terminated June 16.

According to her separation agreement, the city will also not contest any claims for unemployment compensation.