Vacation time payout to former Evansville fire chief Mike Connelly tops $28K

EVANSVILLE — Former fire chief Mike Connelly's decision to retire last year amid an active harassment complaint from a subordinate meant he retained the financial benefits of being a public employee, but it's difficult to know the exact total he walked away with.

Connelly's pension is a private record under Indiana law, but his salary in 2023, as well as his final payout of unused time off from the city, are both public record.

The longtime member of the Evansville Fire Department retired last September after an employee filed a complaint stating he filmed her without her consent on more than one occasion, a Courier & Press investigation revealed last month. While being aware of the official complaint to Human Resources, former Mayor Lloyd Winnecke offered Connelly the choice to retire or be fired.

According to attorney Dirck Stahl, who responded to a Courier & Press records request on behalf of the city's new administration under Mayor Stephanie Terry, Connelly is a part of a pension fund which is administered through the Indiana Public Retirement System, not the city.

Under state law, individual members of the 1977 Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension and Disability Fund are awarded confidentiality aside from their name and years of service.

The Courier & Press filed a records request with the city in early March, which was just fulfilled April 25. In it, the provided the final payout Connelly received for built up sick, vacation and comp time at the gross total of $28,176.48.

After deductions, Connelly received a payout of $19,798.10.

He also received the last portion of his salary, which for 2023 was $123,690.46. He was also paid a $90 stipend for serving on a city board.

Courier & Press files record request for Anslinger, too

The Courier & Press has filed a similar record request with the city to find out what former fire chief Paul Anslinger has been paid as a part of his retirement which was publicly disclosed on April 19.

The city made Anslinger's retirement known only after the Courier & Press began asking questions that Friday. Anslinger has submitted his intent to retire on Tuesday, April 16.

His retirement came the same day he received a notice of discipline from the city, according Terry's communications director, Joe Atkinson.

Anslinger served as interim chief after Connelly abruptly resigned last September. Before that, Anslinger served as an assistant chief for more than a decade.

The notice of discipline has prompted an Evansville Police Department investigation.

In a statement April 22, EFD spokeswoman Kim Garrett said "the matter regarding Paul Anslinger" had been referred to law enforcement. She said there would be no additional comment, citing the now-ongoing police investigation.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville pays out $28K in PTO to former fire chief Mike Connelly