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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Schenectady's fire chief will get his retirement money.

The City Council voted Monday night to approve Chief Bob Farstad's cash payout of about $73,000 when he retires in April.

The payout was listed as a benefit for unused sick, personal vacation and overtime in his contract, that dates back to the mid-90s.

The City Council president said he had no choice, but some people in Schenectady say Farstad shouldn't get the money.

"It's nice to have three weeks vacation a year. If you don't want to use it and be paid out at the end of your career. I think this council should at some point should establish some different guidelines and basically, what they do in the private sector, you use it or you lose it. It should be that way in the public sector also," said Vince Riggy of Schenectady.

"We're locked into that, and if we had control over it and no we don't like it, but unfortunately we're stuck with it and we have to bite the bullet and move on to see that it doesn't happen again," said City Council President Gary McCarthy.

McCarthy said the council will probably try to put a charter amendment on the ballot that would give council members a say in city retirement plans.