SEQUIM — Bob Spinks celebrated his final day as Sequim’s chief of police on Friday by donning a lei and a loud shirt and greeting scores of fans of his KSQM-FM 91.5 program, “The Five-O Show,” during a “Hail to the Chief Bob-R-Q” in the radio station’s parking lot.
He also indicated — if he doesn’t leave for a job in another city — that he may run for City Council next year.
“I haven’t ruled it [running for council] out,” Spinks said in an interview with radio station KONP.
And, he added, ” I’ve been carrying a gun and a badge for a long time. Maybe it’s time to put my degrees and years of public management service to use in another capacity. We’ll see where things are next spring.”
While he has applied for other law enforcement jobs in the Northwest, Spinks told KONP that he would be satisfied if he could find a job that kept him in Sequim.
Spinks has said several times that it was always his plan to retire in Sequim when he took the police chief’s job five years ago.
He also repeated to KONP that he believed his removal by Sequim City Manager Steve Burkett had nothing to do with performance.
“I’ll take the city manager at his word that he wants to bring in his own management team, he can do that. I don’t have to agree,” said Spinks.
“But the fact is there is no turmoil in the Sequim Police Department.”
Joe Borden, the recently retired Sequim Irrigation Festival chairman, was among those who stopped by to wish Spinks well on Friday.
Sequim-based singer-songwriter Kate Lily presented him with a CD of her original music, “Take a Chance on Romance,” which is featured on KSQM.
Spinks will receive his salary of $7,192 per month at least through Sept. 1, thanks to a severance settlement he negotiated with Burkett.
The departing chief also will be paid for the 353.24 hours of accrued vacation he didn’t take, meaning $14,655.93 will be tacked on to his last paychecks.
He wll also receive $2,004.59 for 48.32 hours of sick time.
The total so far: $31,044.52 paid on departure.
Spinks’ agreement also provides for full benefits, plus one more month’s salary beyond Sept. 1 if he doesn’t find other employment by Oct. 1.
Last month Burkett got the Sequim City Council’s unanimous vote for raising the salary for the next police chief 10 percent, to a range of $86,400 to $106,000.
Spinks, whose annual salary is $86,299, reacted with a shrug and a quip: “I think that’s what I should have been paid all along.”
