The City of Glendale hired recently-retired police chief Rick St. John on Tuesday as a deputy city manager through an outside contractor.
St. John could collect up to $192,000 salary depending on how much the outside company pays him directly, according to city records.
The City Council voted to approve a contract with Interim Public Management, LLC during its council meeting last night. The agenda and attached documents did not list Rick St. John as a contract employee.
The public and council members appeared to have no knowledge that St. John had already been pre-selected for the job before it was brought for a vote.
The decision to hire St. John comes months after ABC15 exposed a troubling incident involving Glendale officers, who repeatedly tased a handcuff man, including once in the testicles, according to body cam video and a lawsuit.
St. John will now be known as a “double dipper,” collecting both a salary funded by taxpayer money and a public pension.
They just rushed this press release out after @abc15 sent list of questions and told them I was coming to city hall to ask questions.
— Dave Biscobing (@DaveBiscobing15) August 28, 2019
More forced transparency for Glendale. pic.twitter.com/swnU3vADTb
The state public safety retirement pension system said St. John's pension pays out more than $100,000 a year with some of that going to an ex-spouse.
City leaders released a statement about the hire Wednesday afternoon, shortly after ABC15 reached out with a list of questions regarding St. John and a request for an interview.
Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dave@abc15.com.
