In a 4-3 city council vote Thursday evening at the Global Water Facility, a severance package was approved for former Assistant City Manager Rick Buss. Councilmen Kelly Haddad, Joseph Estes and Will Dunn voted against approving the package.
According to Interim City Manager Roger Kolman, the severance package calls for Buss to receive six months of his salary and six months of benefits. Buss’s salary according to Kolman was $122,550.00.
Buss had been placed last week on administrative leave along with another city employee for allegations of misconduct (see related story). With the severance package accepted and approved, Buss is no longer employed with the City of Maricopa.
Estes said afterward that the package was “not an appropriate measure at this time with all that is going on.” Haddad added, “I can’t agree in good conscience to this while an investigation is ongoing.”
Buss, who resigned, told inmaricopa.com afterwards that it was “best for me and my family to move on to other opportunities.”
Stay tuned to inmaricopa.com for more information on this developing story.
Photo by Aaron Thacker
![City Manager Ben Bitter speaks during a Chamber of Commerce event at Global Water Resources on April 11, 2024. Bitter discussed the current state of economic development in Maricopa, as well as hinting at lowering property tax rates again. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spencer-041124-ben-bitter-chamber-property-taxes-web-218x150.jpg "City gave new manager big low-interest home loan")
