Payouts up to $20,000 far exceed award cap Metro gave $88,500 in bonuses to seven workers last year, after denying it had paid out any bonuses at all.
The seven employees, who make more than $119,000 per year in annual salaries, earned bonuses ranging from $6,500 to $20,000 in cash, according to information received in a public records request.
Those bonuses hit well above the $2,000 cap the agency has said it allows for performance awards. The cash-strapped agency handed out the awards the same year it raised fares for riders.
| The bonuses |
| Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn: $20,000 |
| Chief Safety Officer James Dougherty: $15,000 |
| Chief Engineer of Infrastructure A.R. Stroup: $20,000 |
| Managing Director of Public Relations Lynn Bowersox: $10,000 |
| Payroll manager: $10,000 |
| Director of Capital Programs Wayne Upshaw: $7,500 |
| Procurement manager: $6,000 |
“As a matter of policy, is this really the right thing to be doing at this time?” D.C. Councilman and Metro board member Tommy Wells asked. “In D.C. we asked all employees to take a four-day [unpaid] furlough. … I don’t think bonuses look good under these circumstances.”
Wells said he will ask Metro officials to explain why they did not disclose the bonuses when he asked for the information in a hearing last month.
At least five of the employees given bonuses were hired after Richard Sarles was named interim general manager last year. He brought in at least one of them from his former employer, NJ Transit.
Lynn Bowersox was assistant executive director in customer service and communications with him and was hired in November with a $165,000 annual salary as Metro’s managing director of public relations, a new position. She received a $10,000 bonus.
“These one-time retention payments were made as part of new hire compensation to attract qualified professionals,” spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said.
But Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn has been with the agency for years and won a $20,000 bonus on top of his $181,280 salary, according to Metro data. Serious crimes in the Metro system rose 12 percent last year.
“He received compensation per his contract as well as for his service as acting chief of safety,” Taubenkibel said. Taborn returned to his job as police chief last April after serving as interim safety officer for about four months.
“What are they paying bonuses for?” asked Jackie Jeter, president of Metro’s largest union Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689. “You’re paid to do your job.”
Initially, Metro had denied giving any bonuses.
Metro submitted written testimony to a D.C. Council oversight hearing led by Wells saying it had not awarded any bonuses in 2010 or in the final six months of 2009.
In the same testimony, it said it had given out awards up to $2,000 for extraordinary performance and accident avoidance but did not consider those bonuses.
The Examiner was told no employees had received bonuses in 2010. The agency then acknowledged that two employees had been given $2,000 cash awards for work on a finance project. Six others received iPads. The transit agency later said three more employees had received other cash performance awards.
