Pension Boards Approve Retirement for Police, Fire Chiefs

The town's pension boards approved the requested retirements of Westport's police and fire chiefs Monday, which are effective retroactively to June 1.

According to pension calculation documents, Westport Police Chief Al Fiore will collect a monthly pension of $8,550.88. Westport Fire Chief Christopher Ackley will collect a monthly pension $8,553.59 and Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Gottfried will collect a monthly pension of $7,900.21, according to the same documents.

Fiore, Ackley and Gottfried have cited rising medical insurance costs as a reason for retiring because come July 1 the costs increase, which would cause their pensions to decrease.

The retirement request for Fiore passed unanimously with the chief abstaining from voting. The requests for the fire chiefs passed  with Chief Ackley abstaining and one opposing. Ron Wojnoski, representing the fire union, said he was concerned there is language missing in the pension contract to allow employment beyond retirement.

Town attorneys at the meeting said they would draft an opinion letter indicating post-retirement employment is possible.

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said the retirement requests provide an "economic benefit to the town." 

"This is not an unusual arrangement," Joseloff said in an interview after the pension board meeting. "They will take less pay and lower benefits and the town gains from their continued employment."

Joseloff said all three employees have verbally agreed to serve the town for another month until contracts for rehire are prepared and can be discussed. 

The town plans to hire the three chiefs back on a contract basis, which allows them to continue to collect their pensions and another salary, which has yet to be determined. The chiefs would have to pay for their own medical benefits.

"We haven't concluded the salary on post retirement," Joseloff said.

Fiore has said he would be interested in continued service to the town.

Ackley said, "We'll see."

"Maybe I won't come back at all," he said after the pension board meeting Monday.

During the meeting, Gottfried said he would "serve at the pleasure of the First Selectman."

Some members of the public said during the meeting that they had concerns about the town's hiring practices and wanted to know what future conditions the chiefs would be rehired under.

However, pension board chairwoman Helen Garten said any future employment contracts have not been prepared for Monday's meeting, which was solely to consider the retirement requests.

"I find it hard to understand how you can separate the contract from the deal being discussed today," said Westporter Edward Devlin. "The world I come from either you are retired or employed and it seems they are retiring under the condition they will be rehired."

Westport resident Mary Ann Neilson said the chiefs should either "say goodbye or deal with the contract they are under."

"The attitude of the townspeople is they feel helpless, railroaded and they feel they are being wormed around a contract, which is typical in Westport," Neilson said.

Joseloff said he was ashamed to hear Neilson say what the entire town felt when she had not taken a survey of town residents.

"We understand these are tough economic times and we must abide by the law," Joseloff said. "To characterize the town's attitude is shameful."

After the meeting, Joseloff said the chiefs retiring and coming back on a temporary basis will not only save the town costs in benefits, but it will allow the town to retain leadership in the departments and give those in line for promotions time to gain "seasoning" for the chief role. Last year five lieutenants and one deputy chief retired.

"These are multi-million dollar operations," Joseloff said. "You don't go from an officer into management (immediately). And it gives us an opportunity to plan for the future."

Joseloff said he's grateful for the service the chiefs have provided, which amounts collectively to nearly 100 years of service, with Fiore, Ackley and Gottfried each working more than three decades for the town.