State pays $16 million to retiring employees

PROVIDENCE—Rhode Island paid more than $16 million in severance payments to more than 1,500 state employees who retired in recent months.

Gov. Don Carcieri’s administration released the numbers on Thursday under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union, which insisted that the information was public record.

The workers retired in the five months before the price of health coverage to new state retirees went up on Oct. 1. Much of the severance money was unused sick and vacation time.

The payments averaged a reported $10,500 but ranged as high as $129,158 paid to retired Rhode Island College President John Nazarian. About 10 others received checks for more than $50,000.