Origanalist
05-06-2014, 08:47 AM
http://www.northjersey.com/polopoly_fs/1.1009382.1399334650!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_650/new-milford-police-chief-frank-papapietro.jpg
(New Milford’s population is 16,400.)
EW MILFORD — Police Chief Frank Papapietro is slated to take home more than $300,000 in pay this year, including nearly $110,000 in one-time payouts for vacation and accumulated sick days, according to a contract approved last week.
Not included in this year’s payout is more than $48,000 in unpaid compensatory time — 539 hours — which Papapietro has racked up in 13 years as chief, and which he asked to be postponed in light of a recent state comptroller’s investigation that found towns had improperly awarded payouts.
“Comp time,” which many governing bodies use in place of overtime, has come under particular scrutiny in recent weeks amid reports of costly public employee retirements.
Papapietro’s renewed contract, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2015 and expires Oct. 17, 2019, freezes his compensatory time. Papapietro, who has been with the police department since 1978, had accrued 336 sick days before they were frozen at the end of 2008 at that year’s rate, according to the contract, along with 76 holidays, according to borough records.
“I don’t know any chief that gets paid overtime,” Papapietro said. “Comp time is an issue throughout the state, but now people are starting to come to grips with it. Officers started taking comp time instead of overtime, and now all these bills are becoming due.”
Papapietro is not retiring, but New Milford — like other cash-strapped towns — has been paying off these obligations in pieces.
“We thought it was in the best interest of taxpayers to pre-pay some of it so we didn’t get hit with it all at once,” said Mayor Ann Subrizi.
The payouts have been questioned by several council members, most vocally Councilman Austin Ashley, who criticized the borough’s handling of Papapietro’s contract and what he called “gray areas” of accrued time.
continued....
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/new-milford-police-chief-s-pay-this-year-to-include-nearly-110-000-in-vacation-sick-day-payouts-1.1009381?page=all#sthash.4MfXgTPu.dpuf
(New Milford’s population is 16,400.)
EW MILFORD — Police Chief Frank Papapietro is slated to take home more than $300,000 in pay this year, including nearly $110,000 in one-time payouts for vacation and accumulated sick days, according to a contract approved last week.
Not included in this year’s payout is more than $48,000 in unpaid compensatory time — 539 hours — which Papapietro has racked up in 13 years as chief, and which he asked to be postponed in light of a recent state comptroller’s investigation that found towns had improperly awarded payouts.
“Comp time,” which many governing bodies use in place of overtime, has come under particular scrutiny in recent weeks amid reports of costly public employee retirements.
Papapietro’s renewed contract, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2015 and expires Oct. 17, 2019, freezes his compensatory time. Papapietro, who has been with the police department since 1978, had accrued 336 sick days before they were frozen at the end of 2008 at that year’s rate, according to the contract, along with 76 holidays, according to borough records.
“I don’t know any chief that gets paid overtime,” Papapietro said. “Comp time is an issue throughout the state, but now people are starting to come to grips with it. Officers started taking comp time instead of overtime, and now all these bills are becoming due.”
Papapietro is not retiring, but New Milford — like other cash-strapped towns — has been paying off these obligations in pieces.
“We thought it was in the best interest of taxpayers to pre-pay some of it so we didn’t get hit with it all at once,” said Mayor Ann Subrizi.
The payouts have been questioned by several council members, most vocally Councilman Austin Ashley, who criticized the borough’s handling of Papapietro’s contract and what he called “gray areas” of accrued time.
continued....
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/new-milford-police-chief-s-pay-this-year-to-include-nearly-110-000-in-vacation-sick-day-payouts-1.1009381?page=all#sthash.4MfXgTPu.dpuf