MAYOR ANNISE PARKER has vowed to shake up METRO’s leadership team, but KHOU-11’s Mark Greenblatt reports tonight that firing Frank “Procurement Disaster” Wilson could be costly:
If his contract is terminated before 2012 and the firing is not “for cause,” it could trigger a pricy escape clause Wilson negotiated into his most recent contract.
The clause includes an automatic two years worth of salary (more than $600,000 in total), an agreement to move his family to any city in the United States, automatic qualification for a pension and payments of $40,000 a year for the rest of his life, which would begin when he reaches retirement age.
If Metro terminates his contract “for cause,” those provisions do not become effective.
Well, won’t it be interesting if a possible relationship with a female staffer is the “cause” that gets taxpayers off the hook? If not, former Mayor Bill White’s lack of interest in overseeing METRO could turn into a costly headache for taxpayers.
Greenblatt also reports that Wilson was trying to jump to Denver several months ago, but their transit authority board had the good sense not to hire him. Perhaps they vetted his background more thoroughly than David Wolff and the Houston Chronicle when Wilson came on board here in 2004. Imagine if Wilson’s track record had been examined more carefully back then by Houston’s political leaders and newspaper of record. Alas…
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