Dover PD chief: Cool quarter million dollar package

[KBCraig]

I wonder how much of the price would be knocked off if only Mincin would give him a hug. 

This brings up the question of why benefits are separate from salary. The answer, of course, lies in the price and wage freezes of WW2, as well as the income taxes that immediately followed WW2 ("insurance" and "retirement" weren't "income", so they were untaxed; shifting part of the total compensation package from wages to insurance and retirement reduced the total tax burden on the employee, making the employer more attractive.)

I only mention this to point out that a big chunk of Fenniman's "total compensation package" was not salary, but other benefits. It looks like the total package effectively doubled his salary.

With that introduction...

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Dover+chief+salary%2c+benefits+near+%24250%2c000&articleId=763a5b2f-11fd-4359-927f-b9dcf713f995

Dover chief salary, benefits near $250,000

By CLYNTON NAMUO
Union Leader Correspondent

Dover ? The city released detailed salary and benefits information on all its employees for 2004 and 2005 yesterday, revealing that Police Chief William Fenniman cost the Dover taxpayers nearly $250,000 last year.

It is unclear why the city chose to release all the salary information, but obvious that it had been meticulously prepared for easy viewing both online and in person. City Manager Michael Joyal did not return a message left at his office yesterday.

The bulk of Fenniman's cost came from his $128,895.12 benefits package, which was over $60,000 more than its runnerup.

Fenniman's salary last year was $114,665.08, the second highest in the city. Joyal made about $8,000 more. Yet Joyal's benefits package last year, worth about $66,000 or half his salary, pales in comparison.

Fenniman and Joyal weren't the only ones with outsized benefits packages.

Finance Director Jeffrey Harrington had benefits worth $59,134 on a salary of $105,732, while Community Services Director Pierre Lavoie had benefits worth $66,412 on top of an $89,362 salary.

Although other employees made salaries comparative to Lavoie, Harrington, Joyal and Fenniman, none had such generous benefits packages.

The salary figures also show that six city employees made over $100,000 last year while another 26 made over $75,000.

The filings also include other employee breakdowns, such as how long people have worked for the city and how many employees are in each department, among other things.

For a complete look at the information released, visit the Dover city web site.