Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

f6twister · 06-30-2005, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Officer's pay to be subsidized

Cedarburg votes to offset loss when guardsman ships overseas

Posted: June 27, 2005

Cedarburg - City taxpayers will make up the difference between a police officer's salary and his lower military pay while he is called up for active duty, the Common Council decided Monday night.

Officer Michael McNerney's military pay would fall about $1,795 a month short of his police pay, according to city officials.

Aldermen voted unanimously tochange the city's military leave policy to allow for the city to compensate an employee for the difference between the normal city pay and military pay if the military pay is lower.

Under the existing policy, any employee called up for active duty was considered as being on an unpaid leave of absence. But Police Chief Tom Frank stated in a memo to city officials that municipal employees called up for active duty and their families could face "tremendous financial hardship" because of the gap between their city pay and military pay.

Frank, on behalf of McNerney, earlier this month had asked aldermen to consider making up the difference in pay.

McNerney, who served with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division from 1993 to '97 and is an inactive member of the Wisconsin National Guard, has been with the Cedarburg Police Department since Feb. 14, 2000. His current annual salary is $55,585.

As a soldier serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, his compensation would be about $34,043 annually, including base pay, housing and subsistence, and combat pay, according to city records.

Aldermen said making up the pay difference was the right thing to do. They said the majority of the constituents who contacted them said the city should pay the difference.

"The taxpayers feel this is something we need to pay," Ald. Sandra Beck said.

Ald. Robert Loomis said the leave policy will be reviewed in a year.

McNerney, who is married and has two young children, said he must report for duty on Sunday.

In an interview after the vote, he said he is 99% sure he will be sent to Iraq.

After leaving the Army in 1997, McNerney was placed on inactive reserve status until 2001. In 2000, he signed up for a six-year commitment with the Wisconsin National Guard but became an inactive member and did not participate in training. He received a $1,500 signing bonus, but no other benefits, according to city documents.

He said he was surprised to be called to duty because inactive reserves typically are not called up. However, he earlier told city officials he likely was called up because there is a shortage of people entering the military.

In the interview, McNerney said he was grateful for the support from the city and its citizens.

"It's a big weight off my shoulders," he said about the city agreeing to make up the pay difference.

Only one person spoke out against providing the pay differential.

Sue Lundsten said other people who are not city employees are in situations similar to McNerney's. She said it was the responsibility of families "to support each other in times of crisis and not city government."

Cedarburg's move to make up the difference in pay isn't out of the ordinary. The state and some other municipalities have similar policies.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/jun05/337006.asp

This story had me wondering because two people I work with spent two years in Iraq without any compensation. Their families had to rely solely on the military pay and whatever their spouse brought home to support the family. I would like to see this type of support become federal law. Since the employer must return the person to their job anyway, why not help the family while that person is out of the country on military orders?