from: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0419harris19.html
Chandler chief's exit costly
Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 19, 2003 12:00 AM
CHANDLER - When embattled Police Chief Bobby Joe Harris officially retires next week, he will get $133,666 a year for the rest of his life.
And if a city board grants his request for "disability" retirement next month, $106,933 of that will be non-taxable, according to records obtained from the city.
His wife, former City Councilwoman Judy Harris, would get $85,546 a year in the event of his death.
"With the rest of us paying the kind of taxes we do, I see this as needing some research," Councilman Phill Westbrooks said of the disability issue.
Harris, who has been on paid medical leave since January, wrote in a retirement application that a 1999 walk across a wet City Hall lawn caused him permanent knee problems that will require joint replacement. He said he stepped on a meter cover floating in water and twisted his knee.
The incident happened in "March or April" 1999 but Harris didn't fill out an on-the-job accident report until December of that year. "I have never kept anything from the public since I started with this department in 1971," said Harris, 57, who was chief for nine years.
He said he could have challenged The Arizona Republic's request for his retirement application but did not.
The decision whether he gets the disability tax break will be up to the city's Public Safety Personnel Retirement board. Members include two police officers and Mayor Boyd Dunn.
Dunn said Friday he hasn't decided if he will vote on Harris' benefits next month.
Earlier, Dunn pushed for an outside review of the police department "to gain back the trust of our citizens."
Criticism of Harris escalated this fall. Dawn Snedigar, the widow of slain police James Snedigar, repeatedly challenged the department's safety and training policies. Officer Dan Lovelace was fired and arrested on second-degree murder charges in the October shooting of an Ahwatukee Foothills woman.