BETHEL – Town officials have taken last year’s majority town vote to keep the local police force to heart by increasing cops’ wages.
At 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 26, in the town office, selectmen are to take final action on police wage plan revisions.
The matter then goes before the Budget Committee, which, at 6 p.m., is to meet jointly with selectmen to finalize the fiscal 2005 municipal budget. Monday night’s actions are to be reflected in the June 9 annual town meeting warrant.
At the selectmen’s April 19 discussion of police wages, they had two proposals from Town Manager Scott Cole: the original fiscal 2005 wage package totaling $158,224 and a revision totaling $190,824.
Earlier this month, wages were increased to retain the town’s only full-time officer, Charles Beale, to whom Rumford had made an offer.
In light of that action, combined with larger concern for long-term retention of trained personnel, Cole said at the April 19 meeting that he wanted to revise the departmental wage structure before it was inserted in the FY 2005 municipal budget.
Cole said, “These changes are necessary if the town is going to succeed in fielding a first-rate police department in the coming years.”
But selectmen, knowing that voters may face a 15 to 20 percent tax increase from the 2005 municipal budget, sought middle ground.
So, Cole drafted a second revision totaling $173,925 for the proposed police wage budget.
It still supports the following policy goals:
• Continuation and reinforcement of the town’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week approach to local law enforcement.
• Continuation of four full-time positions and a reserve pool of six to eight officers.
• Reduction of regular hour work week from 43 to 40 hours.
• Establishment of overtime pay for Sunday labor by full-time officers.
• Re-establishment of second-in-command position (corporal or sergeant)
• Budgetary consideration for training-holiday-vacation-sick-academy time.
• Budgetary consideration for double coverage days (18 per year).
• Increase in reserve officer wage rate from $9 an hour to $11 per hour.
• Continued use of 90 percent of budgeted wage for pre-certification status in full-time positions.
• Continuation of two weeks paid vacation for full-time officers.
The second revision also increases the pay for:
• The chief from $34,185 in 2004 to the proposed 2005 wage of $35,211.
• A corporal by $4,335 over the 2004 wage to $31,200 ($15 per hour with certification).
• Patrol officers by $800 over the 2004 wage to $27,664 ($13 per hour with certification).
• Reserve officers by $7,844 over the 2004 wage to $30,844 ($11 per hour).
• Police overtime by $5,342 over the 2004 wage to $7,342 (at $19.95 per hour).
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