Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, flanked by newly promoted Police Chief Brian Harding, sought approval from members of Akron City Council for up to $400,000 to offer a voluntary buyout to Deputy Chief Jesse Leeser.
Leeser is the sole deputy chief left in the department, after Harding was promoted last week to the top job.
“It assists with changing the culture and allows for new ideas and new perspectives and ultimately new leaders to enter into leadership,” Malik said during the Budget & Finance Committee meeting Monday afternoon.
Malik said he plans to hire new deputy chiefs shortly, including one as soon as next week. Future buyout offers for APD captains and lieutenants could be coming after the summer, after negotiations with the police union, so leadership in the department is more aligned with Harding.
As Signal Akron first reported Monday, Malik submitted legislation for approval for a “voluntary separation payment” for an unnamed deputy police chief. The legislation Malik submitted did not name the person the payment would go to, nor did anyone in the meeting say anyone’s name out loud, but Signal Akron confirmed it is Leeser, a 29-year veteran of the department who applied for the police chief position that was ultimately given to Harding. Leeser is the second-highest ranking member of the APD.
Malik had been critical of Leeser in a town hall, shortly after removing him from consideration for the chief position last month. Offering Leeser a $400,000 buyout, he said in today’s committee meeting, would “allow our new chief to establish the team that can allow him to move forward with new management structure and change within the department.… It is important for a new leader to establish the team around them.”
Akron proposal modeled after other cities
Even if council authorizes the $400,000 buyout, Leeser is under no obligation to take it. The figure was based on “gratitude” for Leeser’s time with the APD and the estimated amount he’d give up in Ohio’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan, or DROP, by leaving early, said Akron Deputy Director of Finance Mike Wheeler.
DROP allows eligible police officers and firefighters to delay retirement and save a lump sum of money. “The amount being offered compensates for what the officer could be losing and also recognizes the length of service,” Wheeler said.
Malik said this buyout proposal was modeled after other communities, including Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reported in December 2022 that four deputy chiefs opted for $500,000 buyouts after rejecting $300,000 offers.
Malik didn’t ask council to vote on the legislation at Monday’s meeting, so the issue will be debated further in the coming weeks.
City Council members react
“I’m troubled by this request,” said at-large Council Member Linda Omobien, who was concerned that the offer could set a precedent.
“$400,000 is a lot of money,” said at-large Council Member Eric Garrett. “I just sit back and think about how many shower buses we could have. I sit back and think about how many homeless people we could help.”
Council President Margo Sommerville asked if the deputy chief could be reassigned inside the department, potentially to the administrative side, instead of paying him to leave.
Malik implied he’s thinking about the bigger picture in this proposal.
“This is less about any one specific person than it is about giving opportunity for new ideas, new perspectives, and new leaders to rise up through the department,” the mayor responded.
Council Member Donnie Kammer said the $400,000 figure is “pretty steep” to justify to his Ward 7 constituents. He echoed Sommerville’s idea about reassigning Leeser.
“I really appreciate what you’re doing – you’re five months into the job – but this is one that I probably can’t support moving forward,” Kammer said.
Ward 10 Council Member Sharon Connor juxtaposed the proposal to pay Leeser to leave with the administration’s assertion that the department is understaffed.
“I have heard consistently how we are understaffed, understaffed, understaffed, but now we’re talking about buying out staff. I don’t understand – I mean, I see the idea, but it seems like a not great way to do things if we’ve been short staffed for so long and now we’re figuring out how to buy people out. I just think that sends a mixed message to our city, our residents, and $400,000 is a lot of money. A lot of money when we have so many other things to do.”
Malik said that Leeser’s buyout – paired with future buyouts for captains and lieutenants – actually would help with staffing levels because officers will see that there are open positions they could be promoted into.
“Part of the issue that we see is people leaving the force entirely and going to other departments,” Malik said. “And I would suggest that in part it’s because people don’t see an opportunity to advance. This in some ways could help stem that.”
The committee voted to “take time” on the legislation before voting on it, so no decision will be made Monday, and the legislation was not discussed in the regular City Council meeting.
