HANSON — The Board of Selectmen has emphasized to residents that a separation agreement with former Town Administrator Michael McCue was the result of “thoughtful and careful deliberation” as details of the agreement were made public last week.
In the agreement, made June 18 during an executive session and released seven days later, McCue voluntarily submitted his irrevocable resignation, effective, Monday, July 1.
The severance package includes two months’ pay, or $19,941 and four weeks; accrued vacation pay, or $11,044.22 for a total of $30,985.68.
McCue agreed to waive his contractual percentage payment increase for fiscal 2020 under his contract agreement, being paid instead based on the pay rate for fiscal 2019.
The town agreed to pay McCue’s health insurance premium under the COBRA program for three months between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 2019. If McCue seeks unemployment benefits, the town would not oppose such claims. He could receive another $35,958 in unemployment if he opts to do so.
“The Board would like to make clear that the decision to enter into this agreement came only after the Board engaged in thoughtful and careful deliberation — weighing of the costs of a lengthy investigation, coupled with the continuing costs of paying Mr. McCue while on leave and the costs of the defense of any potential litigation — should the Town determine that a negative employment action against Mr. McCue was warranted against the cost of entering into a settlement agreement in an expeditious manner,” Selectmen stated Saturday, June 29 through labor counsel Maura Gallagher of Clifford & Kenny LLP in Pembroke. “The Board concluded that, on balance, the latter option (a settlement agreement) was in the best interests of the Town. An investigation could have taken numerous weeks, if not months to complete, at significant investigative and legal costs to the Town.
“During that time Mr. McCue would have been paid by the Town, but would not have performed services for the Town,” Gallagher stated. In addition, the Town would have had to pay an interim town administrator to perform his job functions in his absence. This agreement permits the Town to move forward immediately. In addition to the costs outlined above, the opportunity to begin a new chapter with an excellent interim town administrator in place and start the search for a permanent town administrator, has value to the Town and its personnel that is not easily quantified — but is, in the view of the Board, of tremendous importance nonetheless.”