The total price tag of Dorothy Dugger’s forced resignation from BART continues to increase, with costs related to the ouster now likely to top $1 million.
In February, the agency’s board of directors voted 5-4 to ask the general manager to resign, a move that was later rescinded due to violations of California’s open-meeting laws.
After spending two months working with BART directors to craft an exit on her own terms, Dugger stepped down Friday, walking away with a $958,000 severance package that included $350,000 simply to ensure that the she didn’t seek litigation against the agency. Negotiations with Dugger also cost BART $11,566 in legal fees.
Already nearly $1 million in the hole, BART will shell out even more money to find a full-time replacement for Dugger. On Thursday, the agency will discuss hiring an executive search firm to find a replacement, but the costs won’t be cheap.
BART is projecting to spend $110,000 on hiring the search firm and another $18,000 for relocation costs for their next general manager.
With the contract for the search firm, relocation costs and Dugger’s severance package, BART could pay about $1.1 million just to force out its general manager. That total doesn’t include the compensation for interim General Manager Sherwood Wakeman, who took over the agency Saturday and is earning $160 an hour for his work.
As part of her agreement with BART, Dugger walked away from the agency with a single check for $944,000. The remaining $14,000 of her severance package went to her legal team.
