May 04, 2009
Police pay tops local payrolls
Police and firefighters are the highest paid local government employees--with few exceptions--in Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam counties, according to an ongoing series in the Journal News.
The latest round of stories focus on Haverstraw (here), Pelham (here), Sleepy Hollow (here) and Mount Kisco (here), where the Mayor James Palmer earned an extra $24,000 for also serving as village assessor.
Overtime primarily is why police and firefighters often are paid more than mayors and city managers, the Journal News reports. In Buffalo, Utica, Schenectady, Long Island and elsewhere, newspapers have found similar practices.
In an earlier story about Clarkstown (here), the Journal News writes: ...Capt. Thomas Purtill, who earned $335,676.88 in 2008 while working two days a week because of a disability. Purtill, who retired in March after 35 years in the police department, spent three days a week receiving physical therapy. His 2008 pay was slightly higher than that of Police Chief Peter Noonan who was paid $332,529--more than twice the $153,000 salary of Town Supervisor Alex Gromack.Other figures in the FOIL response showed a total of 15 police officers made more than $200,000 in 2008. The lowest-paid officer among the top 50 earned $169,304.58. In a follow up story, the New York Times quotes Gerry O'Rourke, president of the Congers Civic Association, as calling the salaries "incomprehensible" and "outlandish". "They're good police, but they're making Wall Street salaries. Are we going to be paying them $400,000 in a couple years?" The Times notes Clarkstown Police Chief Noonan earns more than New York City Police Commisioner Raymond W. Kelly, who is paid $189,700."He may well be the highest-paid chief in the country, surpassing even L.A., New York, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Detroit," said Chief Jack L. Rinchich, president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. "Those salaries are astounding--I've never heard anything in that range. It's a heck of a package. I mean, we have a chief in West Virginia making $7 an hour."
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