Council Committee Discusses Vacation Pay

Louisville Metro Council members voiced their concerns Wednesday over Mayor Jerry Abramson's authorization of payment for unused vacation days to two city officials.An internal audit revealed that Abramson approved payments of about $25 ,000 each to then Chief Financial Officer Jane Driskell and then Deputy Mayor Rick Jonhstone. The payments were for 60 unused vacation days. Mayoral policy usually restricts employees from receiving payment for more than 40 vacation days.Abramson says the officials could not take time off before their retirements since they were helping work on the city budget.Councilman Kevin Kramer discussed the payments in the council's Government Accountability and Oversight Committee."I don't think it's illegal, no," he says. "Because I'd say the Mayor has the authority to write the policy and if the mayor chooses to accept the policy that he's written, certainly he has the authority to do that."Kramer says he would like to see uniformity in policy enforcement, but doubts any legislative action will come from the council on the issue.