Milford City Council approved a payscale for the upcoming year that increases the grade of pay for police lieutenants, captains and the chief of police. According to Jamesha Williams, Human Resource Director, the paygrades, other than the police department, were based on a pay study conducted by Evergreen.
“On the right-hand side, you will see three items in bold for the police chief, the police lieutenant and a police captain which were recommendations from the police chief for pay grade adjustments,” Williams said.”
Councilman Jason James asked whether the payscale itself had changed since it was presented at the budget hearings for the chief, captain and lieutenant. Williams stated it had not and it was included in the approved budget. However, a review of documents presented at the budget hearing only mentions an increase for the lieutenants and captains with no mention of a grade increase for the police chief. Councilwoman Lori Connor asked if a cost-of-living increase was automatically given each year.
“It depends on what is ultimately approved by council,” Lou Vitola, Finance Director, said. “It’s common with pension programs and things but we don’t necessarily refer to it as a cost-of-living adjustment. In years when the city undertakes a pay study and the scale is changed commensurate with the recommendations of a professional pay study, those changes essentially end up taking the place of an adjustment because the study factors in the movement of inflation in that year.”
Williams also pointed out that when a cost-of-living adjustment was issued, it was only for non-union employees.
“I am happy this dialogue took place and that it was explained because this is a recommendation to council and then council has the power and authority what they do with that recommendation,” James said. “It’s not that administration says to do it that council has to do it. If it is done it is because council decided to do it and if we decide not to do it, it is because council decided not to do it.
When council approved the budget, there was considerable discussion regarding what the captain would be paid as the new pay grade would mean a salary of over $162,000.00, higher than most of the department heads in the city. The increase in grade for the chief raises her salary range from around $135,000.00 to between $164,036.64 to $207,796.71 depending on where her experience placed her on the step scale. This would be an increase of $28,869.59 to $72,629.66, or between 21 and 54 percent.
Connor made a motion to accept the payscales as presented and it was seconded by Councilman Michael Stewart. Councilman Dan Marabello clarified that this vote was to make adjustments to just those few employees, meaning the police department, and he was told that was true. The motion passed with a vote of 5 to 2 with Councilwoman Nadia Zychal and Marabello voting no. Councilwoman Madula Kalesis was not present.
The police chief is contracted which means council will have to determine what her salary will be separately from other employees, but it will be within the $164,036.64 to $207,796.71 range.
