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Board raises police and fire chief pay; fire increases made retroactive to Oct. 7, 2024
Summary
Ordinances to adjust pay for public safety senior management passed Oct. 6. Police chief and deputy adjustments followed a recent contract; the board also approved higher fire chief and assistant chief pay and amended the ordinance to make those raises effective Oct. 7, 2024, creating a roughly $35,000 retroactive cost.
Milford — The Board of Aldermen on Oct. 6 approved ordinances adjusting compensation for senior police and fire officials.
An ordinance amending the wage schedule for the police chief and deputy police chief passed unanimously; the changes align those non‑represented positions with the recently ratified police union contract.
Separately, after an extended discussion and presentation by Fire Commission Chair Kevin McGrath and the fire chief, the board approved an ordinance to increase the fire chief’s pay and those of the assistant chiefs. The board also adopted an amendment to set the ordinance’s effective date to Oct. 7, 2024, making the increases retroactive for one year. The city’s human resources director and the fire chief presented comparables showing the positions were below market and requested adjustment. Alderman Smith moved the amendment to change the effective date; after discussion about fiscal impact, the amendment and the ordinance both passed unanimously. The finance director stated the retroactive cost for the chief plus two assistant chiefs would be approximately $35,000 (about $15,000 for the chief and $10,000 for each assistant chief).
Aldermen said the adjustments aimed to retain senior leadership and to correct market disparities identified in the city's salary review. The fire chief told the board the department had been excluded from earlier non‑represented raises and asked for parity.
A separate ordinance proposing pay increases for the mayor and city clerk was defeated on a roll call, 7‑7.
