Is Mandel City Council about to hand a huge, unnecessary taxpayer payout to the already highly paid Police Benevolent Association (PBA)? If yes, get ready to pay! Really pay!! Is it another political reward paid for by taxpayers? If so, it will cost taxpayers literally millions!
Taxpayers may need to get their checkbooks open and pens ready. First, the Scott Mandel City Council gave Mike Tangney, the LB Police Commissioner, a higher salary than NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly ($185,000/year) now they may be about to give another huge taxpayer funded award to the already highly paid city police department!!
But the question is how much of the contract will be deserved and how much might be considered political payback for the PBA's support of the Democrat clubhouse?
Some say that, as a result of the potential award, every single member of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) may be awarded retroactive paychecks that may exceed $50,000.00 and some may receive taxpayer funded checks over $70,000.00!! Keep in mind, no mater what the amount, these checks are for retroactive pay; they are above the salary future increases that may be awarded. The retroactive pay alone will cost taxpayers over $3 million! The total seven year deal, if it becomes a reailty, will cost taxpayers millions more!
Some say the settlement, which may have been already received by the city, awards the police raises as follows:
- 2008- 3%
- 2009- 3%
- 2010- 3%
- 2011- 3%
- 2012- 3%
- 2013 -3%
- 2014- 3%!!!
If these numbers are accurate, that is 21% increase! Given the recession, a so-called "fiscal crisis" and difficult economic times, who can justify these type of astronomical raises to a police force that is already, according to some, very, very well paid? The Mandel Administration already raised residents’ property taxes 3 times in one year! How are we going to pay for this??
The PBA leadership has deep ties to the LB democrat clubhouse. You may recall last year, soon after Scott Mandel and the LB Democrats took control of city hall, they city awarded the PBA President Stephan Chernaski a huge settlement which included multiple promotions, tenure, salary increases, sick time, compensatory time and lawyers fees, and much more, all of which may cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some said that the payout might have been a reward to Chernaski for his loyalty to the Democrat clubhouse. No matter how you cut it, the award was stunning, unnecessary, and cost taxpayers much too much money.
In addition, during the so-called "fiscal crisis", the city went after labor concessions from the hard working and lowest paid CSEA city workers while the Police and Fire Department went practically untouched! The Police and Fire Departments represents 50% of the city's salaries! Where is the equity in that?
Now it appears the city has positioned itself to award the police a huge contract that will cost taxpayers dearly. But it didn't have to happen. Here's why?
The police contract expired on June 30, 2008. The prior administration made an offer to the PBA that was rejected by the PBA membership. Then the PBA made an offer to the City Council. That offer went for a public vote but was rejected by the council. The prior administration didn't feel the PBA had given enough back to the city and the taxpayers. At that point the contract went to an arbitrator. Here’s the catch: Under the law an arbitrator can award up to a 2 year contract settlement. That's where the Mandel Administration gave away the store, gave away their authority, and put the taxpayers in jeopardy.
On September 19, 2012, the Mandel Administration passed a resolution, that gave the arbitrator the authority to award a contract that would be seven (7) years in length!! That is not a typo, I said - 7 years!! In these economic times, who does that? During a so-called "fiscal crisis" what responsible government does that? It's unprecedented, it's outrageous and its irresponsible, but the Mandel Administration did it. In essence they Mandel Administration gave away their power to negotiate a fair contract that was beneficial to the taxpayers and paved the way for the arbitrator to award a huge contract that will cost taxpayers dearly.
The question is, given the stupidity of the resolution, why did Mandel Administration decide this course of action? In my opinion, it was political payback to the PBA President for his loyalty.
Here's another item that will cost taxpayers dearly. "Coincidentally" when PBA President Chernaski settled his lawsuit with the Mandel Administration the city also gave him a clause in the settlement that stated if the police receive any retroactive pay from collective bargaining or labor arbitration for the years between 2008-2012, Chernaski would received pay at the rate of his new position, not his old rate of pay. This means a huge windfall to Chernaski, who is now a Lieutenant and as such no longer a PBA member. If it weren't for this clause in his settlement, Chenawski would not be getting this huge taxpayer funded payout.
Here's another huge question, where is the money for this or any settlement in the proposed 2013-2014 budget? I don't see it! Will the Mandel Administration look to borrow more money on top of the $30 million they have already borrowed in the 16 short months they’ve been in office, nearly doubling the city's debt? Borrowing the money would be more foolish than contract itself because taxpayers will not only have to pay the principal on the loans but the interest over 20-30 years as well, exponentially increasing the costs to taxpayers!
How would this be different if the prior administration was in, we don't know. What we do know is that the prior administration REJECTED the PBA's offer because they were not giving back enough to the city and taxpayers. My experience tells me that there is no way, NO WAY, that they, or I, would have ever, EVER, given the arbitrator the authority to award a 7 year deal. That is simply outrageous, irresponsible, and idiotic. By giving the arbitrator this kind of unilateral power the Mandel Administration abdicated their authority as elected officials. Consider this, the Mandel Administration let LIRO, an outside company, decide the specifics of the $44 million boardwalk project and they allowed an outside aribitartor to unilaterally award up to a 7 year deal for the PBA! On the big issues, the issues that cost taxpayers millions, why does Mandel, Torres, Goggin and Adelson let other non-elected people make the decisions for them!, Why do they want to be on the city council if every time they have to make a big decision they allow someone else to do it? Absolutley irresponsible....possibly dereliction of duty.
When will the Mandel Administration stop rewarding their political allies and cronies and start representing the hard working, already overtaxed residents of our city?
When is enough, enough?
Keep this in mind next November when the City Council Elections are held!
