A public college in Florida is under scrutiny after an audit discovered that the college was preparing to pay its president nearly $400,000 in taxpayer money for a sabbatical from his official duties — the year before he retires.
A new audit by Florida’s state auditor general is criticizing a deal made by Broward College to pay outgoing President David Armstrong his full $381,000 salary for a yearlong sabbatical after he steps down on June 30.
Armstrong will still assume the position of president emeritus, which according to the Sun-Sentinel will contain duties such as “outreach to the business community and the state Legislature.” However, the position of president emeritus will not require anywhere near the amount of work Armstrong conducted while president of the college. According to a description of the position, the job appears to consist of a lot of schmoozing with various educational, community, and state officials. Additionally, Armstrong will be expected to introduce the new college president to “important contacts,” as well as “thought and practice leaders.”
While Armstrong’s official salary is $381,000, he will actually received approximately $421,000 after all compensation and benefits. His cushy retirement gift has not gone unnoticed by the state auditor, who cast doubt on the deal as serving no public purpose.
“Absent records to support the basis for maintaining the president’s compensation at the same rate after he assumes the position of president emeritus, the public purpose served for the board’s decision is not readily apparent,” the state auditor’s report says.
The lavish retirement package has also enraged a number of Florida politicians, including Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, a Republican. After learning of the deal’s existence back in January, Corcoran responded by proposing a cut to the college’s state funding in the amount of $381,000, the exact sum of Armstrong’s outgoing salary. Though the speaker’s proposal did have some support, it was abandoned during final budget negotiations.
This is not the first time Broward College has faced public scrutiny for their handling of public taxpayer money. In 2017, the college was forced to pay back $5.6 million in wrongly distributed financial aid.
Richard Vedder, a former economics professor who is an expert in college affordability and spending, has called Armstrong’s deal another “goodbye parting gift at public expense.”
“On the face of it, it appears indefensible,” said Vedder. “This is just a goodbye parting gift at public expense. The guy is leaving. Why give anyone money you don’t have to?”
