Chief Michael Mingee of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, who is being forced into early retirement after he was successfully sued by three department whistle-blowers, will receive nearly $200,000 in severance pay when he steps down this summer. Mingee will leave his post a year and five months before his contract ends. He's been with the department since 2007.
According to a notably generous clause within Mingee's employment agreement, if the Carpinteria-Summerland District's board of directors votes to dissolve the chief's contract early — and if he hasn't been convicted of a crime or displayed gross negligence of his duties — the chief "shall be paid twelve months of his then current salary and all benefits as severance."
In 2013, the most recent figures available, Mingee earned approximately $165,000 in base pay and $35,000 in benefits. He renegotiated his contract's "Termination for Convenience" clause in 2011.