Crime & Safety

Police, Fire Chiefs Requesting Retirement

The high medical costs and decreasing pensions were reasons given for the request.

Citing high medical insurance costs and economic reasons, Westport's Police and Fire Chiefs said Wednesday they are requesting retirement and hope to continue serving the town on a contractual basis.

The Town Clerk's Office sent out legal notices Tuesday of the fire and police pension board meetings with agenda items to discuss the requested retirements of Westport Police Chief Al Fiore, Westport Fire Chief Christopher Ackley and Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Gottfried.

The meetings are scheduled for 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. in Town Hall on Monday.

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Fiore, who has served the town for 32 years, said if he stays on the town's payroll beyond June 30, his pension will start to decrease because of rising medical insurance costs.

"Mine (pension) would go down about $3,200 a year, so take that into account and say the longer I stay the less I'm going to receive — it certainly doesn't make good sense to go in that direction," Fiore said. "My heart doesn't want to leave but my head says it's foolish to stay on and see my salary go down, when I could leave and it's frozen at a certain rate."

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Gottfried, whose served the town for 32 years and eight months, agrees and said he would not have retired this year if it made sense to stay on economically.

"Medical insurance is going up 22 percent," Gottfried said. "I think that's probably the common theme you are hearing from everybody."

Ackley could not be reached for comment since he is in Baltimore working on Fire Act grants for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Fiore and Gottfried said the town is working to draft contracts to keep them on a temporary basis.

Other communities, such as Norwalk and Milford have done the same to keep their police chiefs on the force, Fiore said.

"The town allows you to retire so you collect your pension and then they hire you back at a lesser rate on a contract basis," Fiore said. "In essence, my pension is safe and I come back to work in the same position making somewhat less than what I'm making now but also collecting a pension. It's advantageous to me and the town because their costs go down as well in payroll, in medical costs , pension costs, things like that. It's a good deal for both of us."

The contracts would offer some benefits, Fiore said.

"But, medical benefits, I would pay for," Fiore said. "When we retire, we pay 40 percent of our medical costs. Today, we pay 10 percent. It's a savings to the town. At the same time, it comes with some benefits, some vacation time, sick time and some other allowances."

But, the contract would not allow the police and fire chiefs to enjoy the same benefits they have now.

"Now, I've got 300 sick days," Fiore said. "I won't have that (with the contract employment)."

Fiore said the contacts are still being drafted. He's not sure if they will be prepared by Monday's meeting. But if the contract proves to be beneficial, Fiore said he'd love to stay on and continue serving the town.

"I still enjoy my job," he said. "I don't really want to leave."

 


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