A report says local Ohio governments pay out millions of dollars each year to retiring employees for accrued sick leave and vacation time that was never taken.
Elected officials say the payouts are troubling but likely can't be eliminated, while public employees say they've earned the money and saved taxpayers by not taking time off work.
The Middletown Journal reports that local governments paid out more than $5 million to departing employees, including $1.7 million in Butler County and just over $1 million in Warren County.
The newspaper says this includes $127,262 for Middletown's former police chief and $66,181 for the Fairfield assistant manager.
Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon says the payouts hurt governments in the long run because employees are reimbursed at their highest salary rate.