Documents show former AC Transit GM had a foot out the door before negotiating $500k role 

Say this for Michael Hursh: he is aware of the best way to depart a job.

Within the fall, Hursh tried to guard a mushy exit from his function as common director of AC Transit. Across the identical time, information obtained by The Oaklandside Present, he additionally utilized for a process at govt degree in Oregon.

In November he obtained the exit: a $ 500,000 adviser on the company, with out clearly outlined work expectations. And in December he obtained the work provide in Oregon: Chief Working Officer of the Lane Transit District. He accepted each offers, which implies that from now to and together with September he’ll earn half 1,000,000 {dollars} to advise AC transit whereas operating a transits system at greater than 500 miles away.

The departure of Hursh as common supervisor stays a painful place among the many administrators of AC Transit’s Board and Native Transit Advocaties. He left within the midst of a sequence of escalating conflicts with the Ward 3 director, Sarah Syed, whom he had accused of bullying and intimidation, and the phrase of his new job in Oregon, introduced in February, inflicted the critics of his “Sweeheart -deal” with the company, as Syed known as it.

The paperwork obtained from Lane County present how Hursh’s profitable double dip originated. They embody a job utility submitted on October 23, 2024. That was a day after the regulation agency had carried out an impartial investigation into his allegations of bullying and intimidation A letter to the AC Transit Board Saying that it had not discovered any proof of bullying or intimidation.

In Request for the new jobHursh indicated that AC transit wouldn’t be contacted for a piece reference, although he has been there for nearly ten years.

Hursh approached AC Doorvoet “on or about November 7, 2024” and requested for a scheme that threatened a lawsuit because of “bullying, intimidation, disrespectful conduct and incorrect interference in his function as common director/chief govt officer.” After the board was the deal Greenlit, he left his common supervisor job on December 14.

Based on the documentsHursh went to Oregon for a private interview “for the vacations”. Lane Transit District then provided Hursh the observe on December 30, 2024 and Hursh accepted a modified provide on January 7, 2025, after negotiating $ 12,000 in relocation prices and a vacation allocation of six weeks. “As a 32 -year -old transit skilled, I’ve discovered that the stability between working life is essential to be an efficient chief,” he defined, including that he intends to make use of the allocation “to make use of lengthy weekends and to finish issues within the Bay Space.”

The job in Oregon is full -time and has many duties. The Transit District serves cities akin to Eugene within the West Middle a part of the State. Based on the Lane County listing on February 13, 2024, the Chief Operations Officer Supervise the event of finances, supervises staff and manages all transit companies, together with their security. The official letter Despatched to Hursh of the Graafschap that approves his new job, says that his annual wage is $ 192,000.

We’ve contacted all board members of the Lane Transit District to ask if the district knew whether or not Hursh was nonetheless working as a guide for AC Transit.

Anni Katz, the Public Data Officer for LTD, responded on behalf of them in e -mail assertion.

“Mike Hursh is exclusive certified for this function. He brings a lifetime by way of -award to LTD, in addition to a superb observe file. He works full -time on behalf of the LTD group,” she stated.

We additionally contacted administrators on the AC Transit Board to ask if they might have authorised his adviser place at that degree of compensation if that they had recognized that he already wished to depart.

Dianne Shaw, the Act Board President and one of many individuals who have authorised the settlement in a closed session, e -mailed us a press release. She wrote that Hursh “was not solely revered by the board of administrators for his operational efficiency, but additionally a trusted chief amongst our greater than 2,200 staff.” Shaw additionally stated that his bullying claims have been “deeply worrying” and that they reached the settlement with Hursh to forestall a authorized combat.

“The board was properly knowledgeable and reached this settlement settlement to save lots of our transit district from costly lawsuits. These are prices that the East Bay communities that may pay for our service in these tax-uncertain instances,” Shaw stated. “Within the meantime, we are going to proceed to reap the benefits of Mr Hursh’s sensible counsel whereas we work to enhance the reliability of companies within the coming months.”

Jean Walsh, director of Ward 1, who beforehand criticized Hursh’s wage package deal, stated “Sunshine is the most effective disinfectant.”

Sarah Syed, the director of Ward 3, who didn’t approve Hursh Vocht and his package deal, didn’t present an evidence.

Laurel Paget-Sekins of Public Advocates, a regulation agency that cooperates with the Union for AC Transit’s Drivers, informed us that the company ought to work on efforts to “enhance the service for riders and dealing circumstances for workers”. She stated that Hursh, as a senior advisor, was not helpful in that respect.

“A part of the brand new function of Mr Hursh in alternate for his wage of greater than $ 500,000 GM is to assist AC transmission in acquiring a great a part of the brand new financing through a Multi-County financing measure, however we now have not seen him on this effort since departure to Oregon,” stated Paget-Seekins in an e-mail.

Carter Lavin, who leads the Transbay Coalition Advocacy Group, stated it was “ridiculous” that AC Transit paid a lot cash to an “out-of-state adviser”, whereas the costs and the snisher service improve. Based mostly on the worth of taking the bus with a clipper card right now, that cash might have been used for greater than 440,000 free journeys for individuals in want or might have been used to rent drivers who’ve publicly stated that they’ve been overworked.

“This sweetheart deal have to be withdrawn and the cash have to be diverted to paying extra bus operators,” stated Lavin.