On Tuesday, the City of Brownsville Commission will meet to accept former city manager Charlie Cabler's retirement which was effective when he submitted October 10.
But there are lingering questions at to the legality of his contract, a convoluted document that seems to grant the former city administrator 260 days of accrued leave under the clause titled "Additional accredited leave package."That equals roughly to a full-year's pay ($220,000) which Cabler will collect on his way out the door.
The contract, signed by then-city mayor Eddie Treviño states that "Accredited leave pay shall be calculated based on calendar days. During employment as City Manager, additional accredited leave pay for voluntary or involuntary separation will be 260 days (30 from City Charter and 130 granted by the City Commission).
As we have pointed out in past posts, 30 plus 130 equals 160, not 260 as the clause implies. Maybe they practice some other kind of math over at City Hall that eludes us.
But there are voices in the city's legal department who question whether the city can grant these generous terms when it flies in the face of the city charter as it pertains to employment benefits. This is addressed at the very top of the contract that states: "The terms are subject to the provisions of the Charter of the City of Brownsville."
We would think that the current bunch over at the city's legal department would conduct a final review ti make sure the terms and conditions are faithfully executed and that they would issue a signed statement to that effect. Are they up to the task?
Or will they let Charlie part with this $220,000 bonus pending a possible indictment for his role in the ambulance steering scam which a commission audit and oversight committee said was perpetrated with the knowledge and participation of former fire chief Carlos Elizondo, his assistant chief Ernie Estrada and with Cabler's knowledge?