Clearwater police, fire chiefs can get pension and salary if rehired, council votes

The Clearwater City Council voted Thursday night to pass an amended ordinance allowing retired police and fire department employees who are rehired as chief to collect both a pension and a salary.

The ordinance previously prevented retired police and fire employees from collecting retirement benefits if rehired by their agency. The new ordinance carved out an exception for police and fire chiefs and passed without debate among city council members Thursday night.

The change came as City Manager Jennifer Poirrier considers candidates for police chief, including a retired deputy chief, Eric Gandy.

Gandy became the city’s marine and aviation director after retiring from the police department last year. Poirrier said the proposed change was not created with anyone in mind. As Marine and Aviation director, Gandy currently collects a salary of $127,666, as well as a pension. Though the city’s previous ordinance allowed retired police and fire employees to be re-hired in other departments and continue receiving benefits, it did not allow them to return to their own agencies and keep receiving a pension.

Gandy was hired to the police department in 1991 and promoted to deputy chief in 2017.

The previous police chief, Dan Slaughter, spent 31 years at the agency, including nine years as chief. He left the police department in May to become Clearwater’s assistant city manager. Poirrier appointed Deputy Chief Michael Walek to lead the agency in the interim while she searches for a permanent replacement.

The city’s salary range for police chief is $127,844 to $204,550, according to city spokesperson Heather Parsons.