Bullock receives 15 extra vacation days

Town Manager Dave Bullock turned down a $7,200 performance-related raise last month, but he accepted $10,380 worth of extra vacation Dec. 7 for a job well done.

Mayor Jack Duncan urged Bullock to accept the proposed 4% raise in November.

“I will not accept an increase,” Bullock said Nov. 9. “I took this job knowing what was going on, and there’s no need to spend any more time on it.”

Bullock said he has no plans to retire anytime soon, even though he recently began the fifth year of a five-year commitment he gave the commission when he was hired in October 2011.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on that keeps my interest and my time,” Bullock said.

Bullock, though, said he was interested in “a little more time off.”

Bullock and Town Attorney Maggie Mooney-Portale crafted a contract addendum to Bullock’s contract that gives him an extra 15 days off per year.

Those three additional workweeks are on top of 10 vacation days and 10 director days Bullock already received.

Bullock now has seven paid workweeks off per year, which amounts to $24,220 of paid time off.

The Longboat Key Town Commission approved the contract modification at its Dec. 7 regular meeting by a 6-1 vote.

Commissioner Phill Younger cast the lone dissenting vote.

“I’m not comfortable with 15 additional days,” he said. “I’m comfortable with seven days.”

But the rest of the commission supported Bullock’s extra paid time off.

“I have no trouble with this,” said Commissioner Pat Zunz. “Mr. Bullock puts in many hours and is available to us on the weekends. This is reasonable.”

Commissioner Jack Daly agreed.

“The town manager will determine when it’s appropriate to take vacation days and the like,” Daly agreed.