LEE COUNTY, FL — TripleDippers.org released a comprehensive forensic audit of the Regional South West International Airport (RSW) operated by Lee County Port Authority (LCPA) employees’ leave banks and compensation rosters, revealing that capping employees’ banked leave at 60 hours—down from the current “sky’s the limit” unlimited policy—would immediately save taxpayers and air passengers $2,475,100. The forensic analysis exposes dozens of airport employees hoarding hundreds—and in some cases nearly two thousand—hours of unused leave, driving up airport overhead and worsening the regional affordability crisis. See: https://tripledippers.org/fl-2026-july-lee-county-government/

Currently, total accrued leave liabilities across LCPA employees reach $3,410,940. By replacing the current unchecked payout system with a standard 60-hour cap, LCPA operations would eliminate nearly $2.48 million in bloated financial liabilities.

Although the Lee County Port Authority’s operational budget is supported by airline landing fees, passenger ticket revenues, and terminal concessions, these exorbitant leave stockpiles inflate airport overhead. This drives up travel costs, parking rates, and vendor prices, shifting the cost of government leave hoarding directly onto local residents and visitors traveling through Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW).

Furthermore, refusing to take routine days off poses a direct safety risk to the air flying public, fellow co-workers, and the employees themselves. In high-stakes aviation roles—such as Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF), airport policing, airfield maintenance, and operations—fatigue and burnout compromise response times, situational awareness, and split-second decision-making.

The Lee County Port Authority is governed directly by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which serves as the Port Authority Board. The BOCC holds full authority to reform airport personnel policies, restrict leave hoarding, and enforce fiscal discipline across RSW and Page Field operations.

“By capping banked leave at 60 hours—mirroring private sector standards—we immediately save taxpayers and travelers nearly $2.5 million while ensuring employees take necessary time off for mental health, rest, and quality family life,” stated Dave Jaye, Chairman of the Lee County Taxpayers Association and Lead Researcher at TripleDippers.org. “Ending this ‘sky’s the limit’ policy safeguards the flying public, protects co-workers from burnout, and eliminates artificial travel cost inflation for our residents and visitors.” TripleDippers.org has been documenting and exposing Florida politician and bureaucrat pension bonus abuses since 2018. See the full sortable list for Lee County Government banked hours hoarding and pension bonuses at: https://tripledippers.org/fl-2026-july-lee-county-government/

“This taxpayer and traveler burden is compounded by a stark economic disparity: 85% of private-sector workers do not have a traditional pension, yet taxpayers and consumers are forced to finance guaranteed public employee pension bonuses and life-long pensions,” added Dave Jaye.

To restore accountability, safeguard public safety, and protect mental health and quality family life, TripleDippers.org is proposing two critical fiscal reforms:

1. Enforce a strict 60-hour cap on banked leave, saving $2.47 million and requiring staff to take time off to prevent burnout and mitigate safety risks to co-workers and passengers.

2. Mandate that all banked leave be paid out at the salary rate in effect when the hours were earned, eliminating the practice of cashing out accumulated time at inflated final-year career salaries.

The Problem: Multi-Thousand-Hour Stockpiles and Aviation Safety Risks

In the private sector, companies enforce strict use-it-or-lose-it policies or modest carryover limits (typically 40 to 80 hours) to encourage work-life balance, reduce fatigue, and control financial liabilities. In stark contrast, public records reveal extreme leave hoarding across LCPA departments, with public safety and emergency personnel stockpiling up to 1,961 hours—nearly a full year of unused time off.

Only six employees are enrolled in DROP today. Even that small group is priced at $4.48 million in 8-year lump sums, including $1.85 million from the extra three years alone.

Table 1: Current DROP 8-year bonus Employees

RSW Airport Public Employee Pension Bonus Participants

The fiscal burden expands when senior airport officials participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP), where accumulated payouts stack on top of lucrative pension bonuses. Below are the Port Authority employees participating in the DROP pension bonus program who were not satisfied with a 5-year pension bonus and demanded and received 8-year pension bonuses:

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), serving as the governing body of the Lee County Port Authority, must immediately mandate healthy work-life boundaries, mitigate safety risks at RSW, and protect consumers and taxpayers.

Lee County policy must change to impose strict limits: capping banked leave at 60 hours for staff, mandating that personnel take off time to prevent fatigue, and prohibiting the terminal cash-out of bloated leave reserves at peak career salaries.

“Florida’s public pension bonus system has created a $39 billion unfunded state pension liability—approximately $1,725 to be paid by every Florida resident,” concluded Dave Jaye. “Eliminating unchecked leave cash-outs and saving $2.47 million at LCPA will protect public safety and help lower living and travel costs for everyone.”

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Stay tuned for investigative reports regarding the Lee County Port Authority, RSW, Lee County elected officials, the Lee County school district, fire districts, and municipal governments here at https://tripledippers.org/

Contact: Dave Jaye, Researcher | 586-488-5177 | dave.jaye55@gmail.com