Sheriff Denies Retirement Is Due to Benefits

Sheriff John Gillespie and Auditor-Controller Norman R. Hawkes, who have both said that they are retiring this year only because of health reasons, would have lost six months retirement pay if they had stayed past the first of the year.

During their revisions of the county’s management package Sept. 15, the Board of Supervisors quietly opted to eliminate a benefit that automatically provided six months extra pay to retiring elected officials who had served 10 years with the county.

The move, sources told The Times, prompted both Hawkes and Gillespie to take early retirement before the change goes into effect on Jan. 3.

By leaving early, Gillespie is expected to receive roughly $78,000 for the six-month benefit, based on his annual total compensation package of $157,390.23.

Hawkes, who will also receive the six-month benefit, is expected to receive about $69,000, based on a $138,552.39 annual pay package.

Both Hawkes and Gillespie have said the board action to reduce their perks had nothing to do with their decisions to step down. Gillespie said Monday that he has not even calculated what he would have lost.

“My decision to retire was formulated during my vacation in July,” Gillespie said. “It was decided with my family and with medical consultation. I had no idea what was going to transpire in September.”

Hawkes could not be reached for comment Monday. But he said in an interview earlier this month that he decided to take early retirement because he has several health problems that are not life-threatening, but that are more difficult to overcome because of the pressures of his job.

Both men are set to step down on Dec. 31.

One county source, who asked not to be named, said both Hawkes and Gillespie have said privately that the benefit cut prompted their decision to retire.

“They both would have stayed longer,” the source said. “Gillespie would not have left until next fall. Norm was talking about sometime next year. This was the thing that pushed them over the edge.”

In 1989, as part of revisions in the county’s benefits package for managers, the Board of Supervisors voted to allow the elected officials with more than 10 years service to automatically receive six months pay when they retired. Those with 10 years service or less were to receive about five weeks pay when they left the county.

So far, two supervisors received the benefit when they left the county. Supervisor James R. Dougherty received six months added pay when he left the county in January, 1991, county officials said Monday. Madge L. Schaefer received five months pay when she left, also in 1991, officials said.

The pay was based on the total compensation package paid to the officials, and not just their base salary, officials said.