Small Town Police Chief To Make $400,000 In '07 - Town NOT Happy

[matcom]

<snip>

STONY POINT — Residents packed Town Hall last night to complain about proposed raises for elected officials, the police chief's contract and the Town Board's failure to formulate a long-term financial plan.

"I'm looking at the proposed and actual budgets, somebody doesn't know what they're doing," Serafina Bates said of the preliminary $16 million budget for 2005 that would raise taxes 32 percent. "If you can't do it, you have to get someone in here who can."

A day after 75 residents attended a regular meeting to discuss the budget, about 100 people showed up with notebooks to scribble on, requested copies of the spending plan and made recommendations on how to trim it.

Residents suggested the town hire a finance director but freeze the hiring of two full-time town employees proposed for the assessor's office and town engineer and fill two vacancies in the police department. A majority of the people asked that Police Chief Daniel Ricci's salary be renegotiated. Ricci is expected to earn about $250,000 next year and up to $400,000 in 2007, the last year of his 4-year contract, board members said.

"When you signed off on his contract, nobody thought that he would make the same amount as the president of the United States?" Phil Marino asked.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/111104/b0111stonybud.html

[MsUnderstood]

1. you gotta keep him above bribery level

So what if you have to fire 2 policemen cause your cheif's salary is high...

[Historic NY]

2. I actually know this place

It is pretty sick but the area is or thinks of itself as high class, elite town. The entire county which is north of NY City pays higher wages for most civil service jobs than those surrounding it. I'm only about 20 minutes from this place and I can tell you my CS salary is a hell of a lot less than what they are paying. In 1978 the starting pay for an officer there was 25 thousand compared to 11-15 thousand for surrounding areas. Nothing changes.