Six executive policy committee members are shying away from a report they demanded the resignation of the city's top bureaucrat and that he will collect a year's pay through his departure.

But they aren't denying it either.

A CJOB report states councillors Russ Wyatt, Scott Fielding, Brian Mayes, Dan Vandal, Mike Pagtakhan and Jeff Browaty signed a letter calling for the resignation. The report also claims Chief Administrative Officer Phil Sheegl, a five-year city employee, was given a year's pay, about $242,000 in 2012, as severance.

Mayor Sam Katz, the committee's chair, appears not to be part of the suspected push. Sheegl officially resigned from his post on Thursday, four days before an audit on the city's controversial fire hall replacement program is due for public release.

Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) didn't deny or confirm the resignation lobby. But he indicated a majority of council would have approved a separate planned motion to dismiss the CAO.

"There was already a motion coming from Coun. Ross Eadie and every councillor was aware of it," he said. "The point here is that Mr. Sheegl's gone now."

Several councillors have spoken out about the conflict allegations surrounding Sheegl, a friend of the mayor, especially after he sold a shell company to Katz for $1 that the mayor later sold back. Sheegl was also accused of a lack of oversight on the fire hall file, including former fire chief Reid Douglas's trade of three plots of city land for the property of Fire Station 12 and $2.5 million of cost overruns.

"There was a definite sentiment that there was a need to restore public trust," Pagtakhan said.

Pagtakhan said settlements are a confidential personnel matter that can't be disclosed.

Wyatt declined comment, except to repeat that he wishes Sheegl well.

Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) declined to comment at length.

“I don’t want to comment. It’s a human resource matter,” Mayes said. “It’s a chance to get a fresh start.”

The remaining EPC councillors did not return calls for comment Friday and the mayor's office said it had "nothing to add" on the situation.

Colin Craig, Manitoba director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said if the reported severance proves accurate, it's an overly generous use of tax dollars.

"It's a huge amount of money for a city that routinely cries it doesn't have enough money to fix our roads," Craig said.

Coun. Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo) agreed the city should be more forthcoming about the possible price tag for the change.

"We need to be way more transparent because it's taxpayers' money we're spending," Havixbeck said.

The councillor said the CAO should not be entitled to any severance if the fire hall audit finds him to blame for mismanagement or incompetence.

joyanne.pursaga@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @pursagawpgsun