Hamburg Assistant Police Chief John Conlon retires May 18 after nearly 33 years with the town.
When he walks out the door of Police Headquarters, he will receive nearly $40,000 in longevity, holiday and other accruals he would have gotten had he worked another eight months.
The Town Board approved the acceleration of the 2014 payments to Conlon because his early retirement will save the town nearly $90,000, Supervisor Steven Walters said.
“It’s a big savings to the town by doing this,” he said.
Walters said Conlon had planned to retire next January, after he would have received nearly $40,000 in longevity, holiday, vacation, compensatory time and premium pay due that year under his contract.
While the town would have had to pay that amount next year, it saves money by not replacing the assistant chief this year. Had Conlon stayed until next year, the town would have paid him about $130,000 in salary and benefits, including retirement contribution, vision and dental insurance, the supervisor said. Under that scenario, the town will save about $90,000 if it does not replace him, Walters said.
Councilman Joseph Collins opposed accelerating the 2014 payments to Conlon. The town approved new contracts with Conlon and Police Chief Michael Williams in February, spelling out the accruals, as well as annual 3 percent raises in salary.
“He’s retiring on the higher rate of pay we just gave him three months ago,” Collins said. “It will be part of the state mandate that all of us are going to have to pay.”
But Walters maintains the savings to the town are significant. One of the four police captains, Gregory Wickett, moved into the administrative wing of the Police Department and is being trained in Conlon’s duties, he said. After Conlon retires, there will be no assistant chief, but there will be an administrative captain, a captain in charge of bureaus and two road captains, he said.
email: bobrien@buffnews.com
When he walks out the door of Police Headquarters, he will receive nearly $40,000 in longevity, holiday and other accruals he would have gotten had he worked another eight months.
The Town Board approved the acceleration of the 2014 payments to Conlon because his early retirement will save the town nearly $90,000, Supervisor Steven Walters said.
“It’s a big savings to the town by doing this,” he said.
Walters said Conlon had planned to retire next January, after he would have received nearly $40,000 in longevity, holiday, vacation, compensatory time and premium pay due that year under his contract.
While the town would have had to pay that amount next year, it saves money by not replacing the assistant chief this year. Had Conlon stayed until next year, the town would have paid him about $130,000 in salary and benefits, including retirement contribution, vision and dental insurance, the supervisor said. Under that scenario, the town will save about $90,000 if it does not replace him, Walters said.
Councilman Joseph Collins opposed accelerating the 2014 payments to Conlon. The town approved new contracts with Conlon and Police Chief Michael Williams in February, spelling out the accruals, as well as annual 3 percent raises in salary.
“He’s retiring on the higher rate of pay we just gave him three months ago,” Collins said. “It will be part of the state mandate that all of us are going to have to pay.”
But Walters maintains the savings to the town are significant. One of the four police captains, Gregory Wickett, moved into the administrative wing of the Police Department and is being trained in Conlon’s duties, he said. After Conlon retires, there will be no assistant chief, but there will be an administrative captain, a captain in charge of bureaus and two road captains, he said.
email: bobrien@buffnews.com