Quoted Text

Confusion over assistant chiefs’ pay
Perk payments cloud picture of raises
By Kathleen  Moore
Gazette Reporter

An effort to create a more transparent budget led to widespread confusion in the Schenectady Police Department.
The 2012 budget appeared to show that the four assistant chiefs were each getting a $20,000 to $25,000 raise. The reality? $5,000 raises.
    It turns out the chiefs were getting $19,000 or more in perks each year, above and beyond their normal salary. Through negotiations this year, the City Council eliminated all of the perks, but not the money. It was rolled into each chief’s 2012 salary.
    When questioned, Director of Administration John Paolino provided the salary and perks for Assistant Police Chief Michael Seber to illustrate the changes.
    Schenectady’s 2011 budget showed that Seber was getting paid $100,246. But after perks, he was paid a total of $119,908. The extra money included a $7,267 payment for continuing to work (called a longevity payment) and $5,160 for working his regular schedule even when it fell on a holiday.
    For 2012, each chief got a 4 percent raise, just as the officers got in their contract.
    Seber’s new salary will be $125,054 — an apparent $25,000 raise. But after taking perks into account, his actual raise is $5,000.
    Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy said the new budget is more transparent because it reflects the true cost of the chiefs, rather than hiding their perks in line items that apply to dozens of offi cers.
    For example, one of the department’s longevity budget lines had $199,000 in it this year. How much of that went to the chief? From the budget alone, it was impossible to tell.
    “We said enough of this nonsense, it creates confusion,” Paolino said.
    But some rank-and-fi le offi - cers looked at the new budget and saw a huge pay raise for their leaders, while they got only their agreed-upon 4 percent raise. They cried foul.
    There was no way for them to know that Paolino had negotiated a new contract behind the scenes in which the chiefs agreed to give up most of their perks.
    Chiefs will still get whatever raise the officers’ union negotiates, and those who have been on the force fewer than 20 years will get small “step” increase every few years. For those who have worked 15 to 18 years on the force, there’s a $2,000 raise for staying one more year. The next — and last — increase comes at the 21st year, when they get a $3,000 raise.......................>>>>.....................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01102&AppName=1

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Idiots. So now when he gets a 4% raise in 2013 it will be on $125,000 instead of of $105,000.  Pension also shouldn't be calculated on perks. So let's just roll it into salary. Complete incompetence.

JP certainly knows his numbers.....and his true colors to make sure the police get their wage hike and
underhanded tactic in the guise of some other description.

now that leads to this question......does JP have the same input with the Town of Rotterdam??

looks like there might be a coincidence....

Seems like what is happening in the city...is happening in our Town.....

Can't afford to train officers for tasers, can't afford an officer to man the security cameras 24/7...hum, wonder why.

BTW McCarthy, just because perks are no longer hidden as line items still doesn't make them right!! Transparency is one thing, but doing something about the blatant corruption and padding of pensions is your job as 'acting mayor'.

No wonder the officers are crying foul, they're being screwed by their own department and the City is going along for the ride.

Notice, this is just after the election they were all told to vote in

Why don't they just double our taxes and spend it all, then they wouldn't have to increase our taxes for at least another year and a half. MORONS.

"Enough of this nonsense"? Whose nonsense was it? Right after the election - look! we're fixing that confusing budget we didn't know about until after you voted!
People are really too stupid not to vote against this crap? Roger, despite his flaws, would have cleaned up this dirt. How about we FIRE four assistant chiefs and use the money saved to provide top of the line training to the rest of the cops?

The NAYSAYERS CAN DROP DEAD. PUBLIC SAFETY WILL PREVAIL!

Kill yourself.

Quoted from Madam X

Kill yourself.

They are already brain dead as can be proven by their continued support of the incompetent and unaccomplished.  The only thing dumber than an incompetent and unaccomplished person is the person who continues to follow and support them year after year.  

What some morons don't get into their dim brains is that supporting this kind of crap is actually BAD for the cops on the street. Who wants to work for a crappy, laughingstock organization where who you know counts more than what you know? The article states that "rank-and-file" cops were crying foul. Know why? It IS foul!

Quoted from Patches

JP certainly knows his numbers.....and his true colors to make sure the police get their wage hike and
underhanded tactic in the guise of some other description.

now that leads to this question......does JP have the same input with the Town of Rotterdam??

looks like there might be a coincidence....

Seems like what is happening in the city...is happening in our Town.....

JP has always caved for the cops. Someone....just anyone....ask JP for yourselves why he caves.  
Someone ask him if he has a choice?