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Chandler cops get paid $39/hr for part time private sector work.
They want to raise that to $52.70/hr.
Currently the city of Chandler subsidizes this and the
taxpayers pay for cops that do work for the private sector!
In this case I don't think the tyrants that rule Chandler intended to give out corporate welfare to the firms that hire these cops. I suspect that the tyrants that rule Chandler intended to give out police welfare to the cops that work for them. Of course when the members of the Chandler City Council vote to give the cops a free hand out the cops usually vote to reelect the members of the Chandler City Council in exchange.
New fees would mean contractors pay extra-duty Contractors, not taxpayers, would pay new fees; hundreds of thousands of dollars could be saved by Laurie Merrill - Dec. 8, 2010 11:37 AM The Arizona Republic Contractors, not taxpayers, would pay the full cost of police officers working extra-duty jobs if the Chandler City Council approves a new fee schedule at its meeting Thursday. The proposal would potentially save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. For years, taxpayers have subsidized the hourly wage Chandler police officers earn when contractors hire them for such duties as directing church traffic, controlling community events and providing security at large parties. Under the proposed fee schedule, starting Jan. 9, contractors would pay officers $52.70 per hour, 1 1/2 times a top-officer pay, instead of the current $39. City coffers had subsidized the difference and the police cruiser costs. Last fiscal year, expenses for extra-duty officers were $953,014, and revenue $537,302, leaving $415,712 for taxpayers to fund, according to a memorandum to the council. The year before, expenses were $1,216,962, and revenue $628,767, resulting in a $588,195 bill to the taxpayer, the memo says. "Rising costs of providing extra-duty services have outpaced the fees charged by the Police Department to provide the service," says the memo, from Chandler Assistant Police Chief David Lind. Contractors would also foot the bill if patrol cars are required, to the tune of $6 an hour, under the proposal, which was the result of several months' analysis by several city departments. Police officers would have preferred the current system, particularly because the pay they received for extra duty contributed to their retirement, said Shawn Hancock, president of the Chandler Law Enforcement Association. "In light of things, we did the best we could," Hancock said. The officers' hourly extra-duty pay won't change, but in addition to fewer retirement dollars, the officers will receive separate tax forms from each contractor. "It makes tax filing difficult," Hancock said. The economy has reduced the number of extra-duty jobs available, he said. The new fee to contractors, he said, is reasonable because the rate has not changed in 10 years. "The city was subsidizing $12 to $13 an hour," Hancock said. "Times were good, and they just can't do it anymore." |