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SALT LAKE CITY — Former Salt Lake City police chief Chris Burbank is considering legal action against Salt Lake City after it denied paying money he believes is rightfully his. Burbank also believes the city may have violated federal law over the way it handled his exit.
He told KSL Ch. 5 Investigator Debbie Dujanovic the city owes him about $23,000 from a leave plan the city set up in 1998. The plan converted a portion of employees' sick pay to a severance account that would be paid upon retirement or layoff.
In a letter, the city attorney's office notified the 24-year veteran of the Salt Lake City Police Department that because he resigned he is not eligible for the money.
"They are playing silly games with me that are unnecessary in my mind," Burbank said.
Burbank said the city had stonewalled him over whether it would pay the money.
"Nobody would call me back," he said.
They are playing silly games with me that are unnecessary in my mind.
–Chris Burbank, former Salt Lake City police chief
Last week, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker's chief of staff indicated to KSL-TV the city would pay out Burbank's vacation and a portion of his personal leave, but it wasn't until Burbank received a formal written notice from the Salt Lake City Attorney's Office that it became clearer the city would not pay the sick leave the city converted in 1998. The letter states, "You resigned your employment (as opposed to departing via regular retirement of layoff). Therefore, you are not entitled to receive an RL benefit."
Burbank says he formally retired through the state's public safety retirement system after the mayor gave him an impossible ultimatum: lose your job if you don't read a statement accepting blame for the way the police department handled a sexual harassment complaint. Surprised by news cameras waiting outside that meeting, Burbank says he felt he had no choice but to resign on the spot.
"Obviously, I'm getting a retirement, I have filled out all the retirement paperwork. There is nothing that says I'm not retiring, and they are saying because I resigned. The way it works, because I came up through the ranks I do have some civil service protection," Burbank said.
In response to Burbank's claims that the city may have violated federal law and denied him due process, city spokesperson Art Raymond issued a statement to KSL-TV.
"Like most employees in Utah, appointed city employees are at-will. This means they are employed with no guarantee of continued employment. As in the private sector, an appointed person can be dismissed at any time," Raymond said.
