Pittsfield Personnel Board Supports Police Chief Salary UpgradeBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
02:35PM / Thursday, May 11, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is looking to bump up its police chief salary to ensure equity and attract potential candidates.
On Tuesday, the Personnel Review Board supported a reclassification of the position from a Grade M11 salary that would pay between $115,214 and $149,778 in the fiscal 2024 to a Grade M12 salary that ranges between $133,500 and $173,550.
"This request comes from some conversations we've been having internally to ensure not only external equity with this position but also internal equity," Human Resources Director Michael Taylor said.
Late last year, Police Chief Michael Wynn announced that he would be retiring in July after nearly 30 years on the force. The FY23 approval for his salary was $143,503.
Capt. Thomas C. Dawley II has been appointed as the interim chief to lead the Police Department through the transition.
The city's job description of the police chief states:
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The Chief of Police is the chief administrative officer of the Department and the final departmental authority in all matters of policy, operations, and discipline. Chief exercises all lawful powers of their office and issues such lawful orders as are necessary to assure the effective performance of the Department. Through the Chief of Police, the Department is responsible for the enforcement of all laws coming within its legal jurisdiction. The Chief of Police is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, controlling and staffing all activities of the Department. They are also responsible for its continued and efficient operation, for the enforcement of rules and regulations within the Department, for the completion and forwarding of such reports as may be required by proper authority and for the Department's relations with local citizens, the local government and other related agencies. The Chief is responsible for training of all members of the Department. The Chief shall have general charge of the station and all property of the Police Department.
Taylor explained that the request to add a grade level maintains the current pay structure while increasing the chief's pay.
The city recently settled a contract with the police supervisor's union with a top-step base salary of $102,489 in FY24. The proposal aims to provide internal equity and to encourage police captains or current staff to pursue the chief position.
"I think was really important that we maintained the range spread between the police captains and the police chief and not being totally out of whack with the already existing classification for our management team," Taylor explained.
He provided salary range data from other gateway cities that showed an average police chief pay of $172,569, making the proposed top pay just above the average.
"But again, in trying to not really throw our current classification totally out of whack but also recognizing that there needs to be some type of change happening here and keeping similar structure in place with the police captain salaries we did feel this was the most appropriate range to propose at this time," he said.
Board member Mark Brazeau felt when looking at the comparisons with other communities, the ask is justified.
"I think this is something that is well needed in this area," he said.
The top grade for the fire chief would remain a Grade 11.
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