Will Brigantine replace Police & Fire Chief positions with a single Public Safety Director? City Council says that combining three positions into one could make good financial sense.
According to a Brigantine Beachcomber report, here’s a review of salaries for some key positions:
- Acting Fire Chief Jim Holl; base salary -$122,835 – w/ longevity & holiday – $144,398
- Fire department pays four captain’s salaries at an average of $127,883 each
- Base salary for Police Chief is $129,844 – with longevity, this rises to gross of $144,533
- The salary for Beach Patrol Chief is $27,053. (Beach Chief Joe Guenther recently retired)
City Manager Jennifer Blumenthal is currently negotiating with the police union, lifeguards and blue-collar unions.
“It is a unique opportunity for Brigantine to consider the possibilities. If we do it, this is the time to consider it,” she said.
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Brigantine is only a small island. I could be wrong about this but. There seems to be more chiefs than indians?
Should be volunteer like others in the area. No wonder property taxes are outrageous and keep going up.
Are you ready to volunteer “Joe”?… Yeah, I thought so! As for the property taxes being “outrageous”, what are you bench marking that comment too? We moved here from Wayne, PA last year- a town with a volunteer fire department, outsourced trash collection, not nearly as many community programs- and paid a heck of a lot more in taxes from a unit perspective than we do in Brigantine. I saw first hand the bravery and professionalism of our police and fireman during Hurricane Sandy, and I think the salaries they earn are not only well deserved, but are a bargain. I for one am thankful for what we have here, and I hope you rethink your position on this matter.
I left the island like we were asked too by our governor. I didn’t want to risk the lives of our responders…you say you saw “first hand” hmmm…..
An island this small with this much nonsense. It’s time to stop and eliminate the cronies from all of the various departments.
OMG!! outrageous! Hmmm in have three sons in college, maybe they should look into these positions instead of medicine!!!
Enough with the sanctimonious BS please “Betty”, I am quite certain most DRs make significantly more than the first responders of this island. Maybe I would give more credit to your statement, or the statement from “weekender” if either of you have the courage to put your full name on your respective posts. I for one sincerely appreciate the level of service we get for our tax dollars in Brigantine. I am much more interested in maintaining the level of protection and services we currently enjoy, rather than saving $10/year per person these reductions would amount to. I wish your sons the best in their medical careers.
Cut YOUR sanctimonious BS Chris. The article was about the salaries of the chiefs…not every responder. The question was weather we needed all of the positions. Add up the totals and decide. Happy to hear you are happy to pay! Good for you AND your last name…..
So Betty, what do you think it does to the morale of the police and fire departments if the career path in Brigantine is limited to one or two higher paying jobs? Do you think it makes being a police or fireman here more or less attractive of a job to candidates? I am very glad to see you have good command of capital letters on your keyboard, do you have the ability to think critically too? The fact of the matter is that our taxes in Brigantine are extremely low compared to where I came from, with much more in terms of service. The quality of life here is also outstanding, and I am glad that we have full time, well paid, police and fireman- the vast majority of which live on the island. If you feel that the taxes on the island are too high, or you are not getting the bang for your buck, you can always vote with your feet and move (or sell your second house depending on what the case may be). Our family voted when we moved here, and we could not be happier with our decision. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY BETTY ANONYMOUS!
I think this discussion is necessary (salaries) especially in these trying economic times. However, we have so much more to deal with right now. Yes, Brigantine is a beautiful little island. But to compare it Wayne why not Villanova or Rosemont services?
Squabbling is not going to help us resolve anything. My husband is a retired (35) years Phila. firefighter and I know what they do on a daily basis. I am not for one minute saying they are not worth it.( Reality) the township can afford what they can afford. I quess it is time to tighten our belts anywhere we can. What other choice do we have? End of story!
Boy you seem angry Chris…and have to have the last word. I will let you have it….and it’s people like you that makes me glad to use only my first name…you have issues…..
So you let me have the last word by having the last word? That is nice of you Betty Anonymous. I don’t really see where you get the angry angle from, but I guess it might be your way of leaving the discussion and saving face. On the contrary, I am actually a very happy person that appreciates the town I live in, and I don’t feel the need to denigrate the leaders of our police and fire departments like you seem focused on. I put my full name on here because I am not ashamed of my opinions, and I don’t need to hide my identity behind a computer screen. “… and it’s people like you that makes me glad to use only my first name… you have issues….”- and I am the angry one? Hypocritical much?
What’s the average salary for a small town police or fire chief?
In Phila. If I am not mistaken it is approximately 68,000 to 70,000 for a Fire Chief. I do not what the Police chief makes.
Philadelphia police chief, $255,000K, Fire $150,000