When Chief Bill Blair leaves his top Toronto cop post next April, he will not go empty handed.

He’ll receive a full year’s salary — $367,719, plus $3,006 in benefits — as provided by his contract with the Toronto Police Services Board.

A clause states that if he were to ask for an extension — and refused — he is due the year’s worth of pay. The police services board recently turned down his request for a contract extension.

Board Chairman Alok Mukherjee would not comment directly on Blair’s contract, but acknowledged the extra year does kick in since Blair asked for a third term.

“Had he decided to retire at the end of the term, that would have been the end of the contract.”

Mukherjee agreed the reality of the wording put the chief in a position where he had no choice but to ask for the extension and no option for the board, but to pay it.

Salary and the contract for the next chief, he said, will be part of a new way of thinking moving forward.

In addition to the payout, Blair will also be compensated for outstanding vacation time.

“In recent years we have insisted he take his vacation time but for seven or eight years he worked so hard and didn’t take any,” said Mukherjee. “He was healthy and was always working. Never took a sick day.”

Sources say with six weeks eligibility a year, Blair’s pay backlog could add up to almost another full year’s pay at the end of this contract.

There is enough time owning that Blair could conceivably go into retirement well before his final day in April as other senior officers have done.

An acting chief could be named if he were to chose to do this.