Sunday, November 24, 2013

New Philadelphia Councilman Wants Fire Chief Paid $95,700/Year


If you work full time, as an hourly paid employee, eight hours a day, 52 weeks a year, including vacation, holidays, sick days, and other paid days off, your wages are paid on 2,080 hours a year.  Any time over that is paid as overtime, generally paid at time-and-a-half which translates to your hourly wage plus 50% more.  If, for some reason, you do not work a full eight-hour day, your pay is reduced by the amount of time not work times the hourly rate you are being paid.

If you work full time as a salaried employee, you work the same number of hours as an hourly worker but are paid  an amount, usually quoted as an annual salary.  Overtime is not paid to salaried employees.  Tardiness and missed days are not deducted from earnings as as their wages are agreed to by both employee and employer at the time the employee is hired.

The difference stems from the position.  A salaried employee is paid at a higher rate than the hourly employee because of his increased responsibility, knowledge, and the necessity of his being available at all hours to make decisions and direct the company operations.  Management personnel accept long hours, as a part of the job, the higher pay compensating for management “overtime.”

These practices are generally accepted in business, but not, evidently, by the New Philadelphia Fire Chief, and John Zucal, New Philadelphia Ward Two City Councilman.

On Monday, November 25, 2013, at 6 p.m., Mr. Zucal reportedly will present legislation to the New Philadelphia City Council which will increase the salary of Fire Chief to $41 an hour.  Let me repeat that.  $41. No.  That is not a typo.  That hikes The Fire Chief’s base salary to $85,300 a year base salary.  That does not include job benefits like city retirement contributions by the city, uniform allowance, medical, hospitalization insurance, life insurance.  Business generally figures benefits costs to average 12% of income which could add another $10,700 to the Fire Chief’s income bringing it to $95,700 a year.

But, wait.  There’s more.  Zucal and the Chief feel that the reason for this pay increase is because the Chief doesn’t get paid overtime while the firemen who are on an hourly pay schedule do.  This they think is discriminatory.  Therefore, the legislation Zucal will present at the Monday meeting contains that in addition to the Chief’s salary increase, he should also fall under the work rules and benefits contained in the fire department contract with New Philadelphia.

Part of that contract states that if a firemen is called in because he is needed to fight a fire, or man an ambulance, he gets paid a minimum of one hour double-time pay.  If the Chief is covered by the fire department’s union contract with the city, working more than eight hours a day would increase his overtime wage to $82 an hour.

We know why The Fire Chief wants the increased pay.  He feels that it is unfair that people who are under his direction are making more money than is he.  But wait.  He knew this was the situation before he politicked for the Chief’s position.  Once he got the job, and the prestige that goes with being Chief, he wanted more money for his retirement.  Retirement from government jobs in Ohio is based on income from the job one has when he retires.  This is the reason why the Fire Chief wanted to resign his position go back to being a firefighter.  A firefighter’s pay, with overtime, is greater than that being paid to the Fire Chief.  It’s the overtime that counts.  After all, when it comes to money……

But Zucal?.  He will be remembered as the councilman who gave everybody possible pay increases.  I guess, because I don’t know, that he needs Parrish for his future plan, whatever that may be.  Is he trying to buy the fire department’s support for a run for mayor?  Who knows?  But this I do know.  He has pushed for pay increases for New Philadelphia city employees since he was elected four years ago.

Only one problem.  How does Zucal plan to pay for the fire Chief’s pay raise?  Where is the money coming from?  Strangely he never seems to have an answer on how to pay for schemes like this one.  The city auditor expresses concern for New Philadelphia’s solvency in 2014 without such irresponsible pay increases.  New Philadelphia is close to insolvency, bankruptcy, going broke, you name the terminology.  Schemes which include spending city money without an accompanying city income increase at this time is fiscal insanity.

Fire Chief Parrish knew when he applied for the position what the pay scale was and gladly accepted it.  Chief, quit your whining.  Live with it.

As for councilman Zucal, it is time you quit playing games with the citizenry and admit that your fiscal knowledge is insufficient for the position you hold.  If you can’t understand that you can’t spend the city’s money without the ability to pay the bills, a situation that increases with every passing day, it may be time to reevaluate your position on city council.

 

 

3 comments:

  1. You need to get your facts in order before posting the biases you perpetuate on a daily basis. Your comments only indicate more of a reason you were not re-elected to city council. Responsible reporting builds credibility of which you have none!

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  2. Where was I wrong? I will appreciate any corrections you choose to make and will gladly publish your comments. But give me specifics.

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  3. You were not wrong! When one person can go and negotiate his own wage, is when a City has a big time problem!!!

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