Surprise, surprise...
Magda Konieczna
GUELPH
Former CAO Larry Kotseff got 13 months of pay when he left his job,after working for the city for 20 months.
And the city agreed to not make public the details of his departure.
The Mercury requested Kotseff's contract and the terms of his departurefrom the city in May 2007, shortly after Kotseff left his job. The citydenied the request, and the Mercury appealed.
This month, the Information and Privacy Commissioner's office orderedthe information be released. Among the things revealed in the documents:
When Kotseff signed the contract in 2005, his annual salary was$165,500. The Ministry of Finance reported that in 2006, he earned$192,129.
His salary, benefits -- except disability -- and pension contributionswere to continue for 13 months after he left.
The city and Kotseff agreed to "not disclose to others, save and excepttheir professional advisers, the circumstances of termination or theterms of this mutual release." That's even though the original contractstipulates otherwise: "It is understood that the salary range of thisposition and policies governing benefits for management employees of theemployer are a matter of public record. The employee acknowledges theemployer may release details of this contract relating to severancearrangements after first informing the employee of its intention to doso.
"He received a $600-a-month car allowance.