Police sergeant tops town payroll with $163K BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Rotterdam Police Sgt. Michael Grant’s additional pay was nearly as much as his base salary in 2011. The veteran cop earned $75,809 over his base salary of $87,444 last year, making him the town’s highest-paid employee at $163,253. Town officials on Friday couldn’t give a breakdown of how Grant earned the additional, but Deputy Police Chief William Manikas said the majority of his compensation was earned in overtime. Grant’s combined earnings were $37,366 more than the $125,887 grossed by his boss — Police Chief James Hamilton — who was ranked second among the town’s highestpaid workers in 2011. Grant, who is retiring later this month, and Hamilton were among seven town employees earning more than six figures, all of them police. Another two police lieutenants earned less than $1,000 short of the $100,000 mark. In fact, the only non-police town worker to crack the top-20 earners last year was now-retired Comptroller Pat Aragosa, who cashed in $52,891 in unused compensation time or vacation pay to be ranked 10th on the list. In total, seven police officer bolstered their annual salaries by more than $10,000 last year. Manikas, who ranked fourth among the top earners with $107,300, acknowledged that the overtime earned in the department is among the costs that drive its budget. But Manikas said the department is also bound by the contract with the Rotterdam Police Benevolent Association. The agreement now governing the department specifies that the department’s most senior offi cers — typically the ones that earn the highest salaries — are the fi rst ones offered overtime as it comes available. “There’s not much we can do on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “The only way to change it is to make contractual changes.” Town officials are now negotiating with the police union. Manikas and town Supervisor Harry Buffardi would not comment on the progress of negotiations or what concessions they are requesting from the union, which represents 40 offi cers. ............................>>>>........................>>>>...........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01000&AppName=1
So when he retires this month his retirement wil be based on the $163k he earned instead of the $87k base salary...pretty sweet deal!!! I respect the job these guys have to do, but I am disappointed that our system and the PBA have setup a way that these guys can bump their retirement $$ by beefing up OT in the year prior to retiring.....this needs to be fixed....doesn't work taht way int he private sector! This specific topic (not the RPD specifically) was a big discussion on talk radio just a week ago, discussing exactly the same issue as shown here.
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
In the private sector OT does not count toward your retirement, your pension is based solely on your base pay. It's no wonder the cities are going broke trying to keep up with paying the salaries and benefits of all those who are active and retired employees.
In the private sector OT does not count toward your retirement, your pension is based solely on your base pay. It's no wonder the cities are going broke trying to keep up with paying the salaries and benefits of all those who are active and retired employees.
Not so Shadow... General Electric, General Motors, Ford, and many other corporations IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR include total yearly pay (including OT) to compute their retirement for hourly workers.
If these police officers are actually working the hours... shouldn't they get paid for it??? Many municipalities will cut cut cut until the police force is at a bare minimum staffing... to save taxpayer dollars. Sometimes they could save more if instead of paying overtime premium dollars, they hired a few more officers when needed.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
After reading this article, it should be pretty clear how the copservative party stays funded and influential. They rip off the taxpayers with obscene overtime and then contribute some of that money to the person running for office that is going to negotiate the next police contract. So this year, Rotterdam residents are paying supervisor Buffardi's sheriff retirement, his Rotterdam supervisors salary to negotiate with the RCPPD(Rotterdam Conservative Party Police Department to continue the flow of money.
How do the taxpayers expect to get a break when the people we elected to represent us depend on taxpayer largess? This obscene overtime and blatant manipulation of the retirement system would be criminal in a sane society. We are slaves to the bureaucrats, why we continue to elect them into power is beyond me.
Not so Shadow... General Electric, General Motors, Ford, and many other corporations IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR include total yearly pay (including OT) to compute their retirement for hourly workers. Not sure I agree with this statement. I've been in private sector since late 60's, including several years at GE and do not recall that OT was computed against retirement.
If these police officers are actually working the hours... shouldn't they get paid for it??? YES, they should get paid for it...NO it should not count as basis for level of retirement they receive. State has similar retirement plan. Many municipalities will cut cut cut until the police force is at a bare minimum staffing... to save taxpayer dollars. Sometimes they could save more if instead of paying overtime premium dollars, they hired a few more officers when needed. Very good point and I agree....even with benefits added, you get more patrol coverage and probably works out to about the same $$ expenditure in the end.
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
Joe, with the last GE Contract, there were drastic changes to the GE pension plan, so I'm not sure of it's present status, but for most of it's time at Schenectady, GE would compute your retirement by averaging the best consecutive 5 our of your best 10 years of total wages, both straight time and OT for retirement benefits.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
After reading this article, it should be pretty clear how the copservative party stays funded and influential. They rip off the taxpayers with obscene overtime and then contribute some of that money to the person running for office that is going to negotiate the next police contract. So this year, Rotterdam residents are paying supervisor Buffardi's sheriff retirement, his Rotterdam supervisors salary to negotiate with the RCPPD(Rotterdam Conservative Party Police Department to continue the flow of money.
How do the taxpayers expect to get a break when the people we elected to represent us depend on taxpayer largess? This obscene overtime and blatant manipulation of the retirement system would be criminal in a sane society. We are slaves to the bureaucrats, why we continue to elect them into power is beyond me.
What other surprises will be expected now that the 'boys in blue' are running rotterdam's town board?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
What other surprises will be expected now that the 'boys in blue' are running rotterdam's town board?
Substantially higher taxes.
Just watch the big cheerleader (for higher taxes) and/or one of his aka names, will post here "they deserve every penny....." But the big cheerleader who DOES NOT pay taxes will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER state HOW homeonwers are supposed to afford those taxes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Joe, with the last GE Contract, there were drastic changes to the GE pension plan, so I'm not sure of it's present status, but for most of it's time at Schenectady, GE would compute your retirement by averaging the best consecutive 5 our of your best 10 years of total wages, both straight time and OT for retirement benefits.
I was white collar/AFL-CIO when I worked there and I know it was not the way retirement was computed for us back then (late '60's)...maybe blue cvollar was different...ALIAS might be able to shed some light becuase he was blue collar at GE.
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
I was white collar/AFL-CIO when I worked there and I know it was not the way retirement was computed for us back then (late '60's)...maybe blue cvollar was different...ALIAS might be able to shed some light becuase he was blue collar at GE.
I was only at ge for about 5 yrs........................when I left, the handwriting was on the wall, that unless you were a high service person you were never gonna see a pension.......................btw I could relate stories of how the employees and the unions operated there that would appall ya, but that's prob'ly for another thread.............on another note, I had a friend who worked for the city................heavy equipment operator for dpw...............his last year he doubled his base salary with overtime...................his pension was based on what he earned that year...........so instead of being based on approx a 40k salary his pension was based on over 80k..............nice huh............and that's just one person..............everybody worked on that premise
I was only at ge for about 5 yrs........................when I left, the handwriting was on the wall, that unless you were a high service person you were never gonna see a pension.......................btw I could relate stories of how the employees and the unions operated there that would appall ya, but that's prob'ly for another thread.............on another note, I had a friend who worked for the city................heavy equipment operator for dpw...............his last year he doubled his base salary with overtime...................his pension was based on what he earned that year...........so instead of being based on approx a 40k salary his pension was based on over 80k..............nice huh............and that's just one person..............everybody worked on that premise
As I posted... at Schdy GE the pension was based on your best consecutive 5 out of your best 10 years of service... usually your last 10 years. This averaging prevented any one high overtime year as a base for a much higher pension. However if your last 5 years were all high overtime years, they would be averaged to compute your pension.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Back to the topic of the thread -- These fine young men and women are NOT workers at GE. They do a much, much more dangerous task each and every day - laying their precious lives on the line and keeping us safe....... I along with vast and overwhelming majority of Rotterdam residents join together to say "THANK YOU" to what I believe to be the most dangerous and under-appreciated of careers -- First Responder. Each and every penny our First Responders are paid would not be too much if they are saving you from a criminal, one of your children was in danger, or a murderer was in your home..... WHY would any of you complain NOW? You should thank GOD for them on your hands and knees. To the nayboobs I say "GFY." I for one -- will be thrilled no matter WHAT they are paid, because we HAVE them here to protect us. So DROP DEAD if you believe that you should have ANY beef as to WHAT they are paid -- because the CONTRACT which was dually ratified is IN FORCE and is just, in lieu of the danger their job entails.
"We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society." ---Angela Davis
"When you put a tiny and despised minority up for a popular vote, the minority usually loses." ---Andrew Sullivan
The very nature of police work, or fire protection work, is not a 9-5, 5 day a week job. Emergencies demand more police or fire protection personnel than can be planned for in a schedule. If there is so much overtime... at I presume time and a half rate... there would seem to be a need for at least one or two new people in the force to cut down on overtime. Weather part time or full time, the new policemen working at straight time rate would give the community more police on the streets at the same cost as presently paid with overtime. It wouldn't eliminate overtime due to emergencies, but it would help.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
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