On Wednesday, August 6, in a special meeting called when the July 28 regular meeting was cancelled, Milford City Council will approve the tax rate for 2026 as well as a new payscale authorizing an increase in salary for the Chief of Police, as well as captains and lieutenants in the City of Milford. These increases were approved despite recommendations from then-City Manager Mark Whitfield and Finance Director Lou Vitola against the increase. In addition, there was no mention of a pay increase for the chief during the budget process.
“This recommendation places the lowest paid lieutenant at a higher pay than all but two department heads,” Whitfield stated when the budget was passed. “I don’t think there is a lot of confidence in the study that was done for the police department, and I think it should be redone, leaving the salaries as they are until another study is conducted.”
When arguing to increase salaries for lieutenants and captains, Ashe argued that Evergreen did not include the lieutenants and captains in their study, leading her to conduct a study of her own. In her memo, she acknowledged that sergeants received a 28 percent increase in pay and lieutenants received a 27 percent increase in 2024-25. Her recommendation was to increase the captain salary to $162,952.06, which would be Grade 13, Step 13 according to the payscale included in the packet for Wednesday. This pay would be $27,785.01 higher than what the chief’s earned in her initial contract signed in 2023.
Ashe did not mention a specific salary for lieutenants but requested that they be raised from Grade 12 with a salary range of $103,901.18 to $171,732.82 depending on years of service. Lieutenants were on the payscale at Grade 11 with a range of $94,455.62 to $156,120.75.
A review of the salaries for lieutenants and captains in cities comparable to Milford, also included in the report submitted by the chief, found that the proposed salaries in Milford were higher than other jurisdictions of similar size and police force. Smyrna, the most similar to Milford, has a range for lieutenants of $137,280 to $164,062 while captains earned between $144,144 to $172,265. Seaford, the next closest, has lieutenants that earn between $106,496 to $143,561. There was no salary range for captains in that town. Millsboro pays lieutenants $104,775 to $118,063 and also had no salary for captains.
“I heard a few comments that the lieutenants were not included in the study [by Evergreen] and they were included,” Jamesha Williams, Human Resources Director, said. “Every employee got a job assessment tool to complete. It is simply that the lieutenants and captains did not complete theirs. The second part is that a part of our compensation that takes into consideration years of service but also a part that takes into consideration time and grade. So, you may see a lieutenant that has been here 21 years but the earliest promoted lieutenant came into that position in 2022.”
During budgeting discussions, there was no mention of an increase in pay for the chief who is a contracted employee. However, the payscale presented for approval on Wednesday, moves her from Grade 13 to Grade 14. Ashe’s initial contract provided her a salary of $135,167.05 with a cost-of-living increase provided to her every July 1 and the stipulation that the agreement will be amended to reflect salary adjustments. Merit increases were based on a performance evaluation. The addendum created and signed in February 2024 stated that the chief had an “exemplary evaluation”, but there was no mention of a salary increase.
Using the payscale provided in the packet for Wednesday, Chief Ashe would likely earn between $164,036.64 to $207,796.71depending 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. Because the chief is contracted, council will have to vote separately on her salary and update her contract.
Although there is no public comment on the payscale or tax warrant, members of the public are permitted to speak during the 15-minute public comment portion held at the beginning of each meeting.
