The Holbrook City Council approved renewal of Police Chief Mark Jackson’s contract last week.
The contract is for two years, with the only changes requested by Jackson to allow his annual leave accrual to be increased from 4.62 to six hours per pay period and to change his total allowable accumulation from 240 hours to 320 hours.
Jackson has been employed by the city for eight years, which, according to policy, allows for 240 total hours to be accrued. The request was to bypass the years of service limitation and move him up to the next tier, which is allowed after 13 years of employment.
City Manager Randy Sullivan noted that 320 hours is the maximum allowed in the city’s policy and recommended approval of the contract.
Councilwoman Francie Payne noted that this seems to be a common occurrence with management level contracts and that Jackson had worked in law enforcement for many years prior to coming to the city, having previously served with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.
Councilman Tim Dixon, who attended the meeting via Skype from Thailand, asked why Jackson was seeking the extra vacation hours.
Jackson addressed the council, stating that he has been having a lot of health issues as of late and he wanted the extra time as a fall back in case he needed to take an extended leave. “This has been getting more aggressive, my health. Most of it’s from Desert Storm sickness affecting my respiratory system,” he explained.
Dixon then asked how much sick time Jackson has on the books, and stated that it might benefit him better if it were sick leave rather than vacation time.
“Either way, it doesn’t really matter to me,” stated Jackson.
“As far as I read the policy, when an employee leaves the city, we pay them for unused vacation time, but not for unused sick time,” said Dixon. He then said he had concerns over a paragraph in the contract that appeared “vague” to him.
City Clerk Cher Reyes responded that it was the same contract that was approved by the council two years earlier and that the city attorneys had written it.
Dixon then wanted to know the job description for the chief of police, and asked that it be sent to him.
After listening to Dixon’s comment regarding sick leave, Payne said that she had one problem with not allowing the time as vacation time. “It might be better for the city, but it’s not really fair for the chief. He’s not asking for more money, therefore we’re denying him a raise in trade for days he may use or may not use. I think it would be more fair to approve the additional vacation time,” she said.
Dixon said that the city just gave Chief Jackson a $4,000 raise last year, but was corrected by staff as the raise was given in 2015 and no raise was given in 2016.
Dixon asked when the chief underwent a job evaluation.
Sullivan informed him that it was in January, along with all city employees.
In noting Dixon’s line of inquiry, Carlisle asked, “Who does the chief serve at the privilege of? You, right?” he said, pointing at Manager Sullivan. When Sullivan nodded in affirmation he added, “That’s what I thought, we only ratify it.”
The vote for approval of the contract passed with Peterson, Payne and Carlisle voting in favor, and Dixon voting against it. Mayor Bobby Tyler, and Councilmen CJ Wischmann and Earl Kester were absent from the proceedings.
