CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is applauding Calgary council’s decision to end city employees’ goodbye-bonuses. The CTF discovered the city employee goodbye-bonuses and began pushing council to end this perk in June 2018.

“The golden goodbye-bonuses for city employees should end immediately, but it’s good to see council finally acknowledging these perks aren’t fair for taxpayers,” said Franco Terrazzano, Alberta Director for the CTF. “Now it’s time for council to take action and immediately scrap their own golden goodbye-bonuses.”

In June 2018, the CTF released documents showing city employee goodbye-bonuses costing about $8 million every year. When city employees retire, they’re given a so-called retirement vacation bonus that is equivalent to their annual vacation, regardless of performance. These goodbye bonuses average more than $10,000 for eligible retiring city employees.

Calgary city council has voted to end the goodbye-bonuses for retiring city employees. The goodbye-bonuses will be grandfathered for existing city employees.

Calgary councillors are eligible to receive their own goodbye-bonuses. In 2017, the citizens’ compensation committee recommended council end its goodbye-bonuses, but the recommendation was rejected.