Chief gets 3.5% raise
New two-year contract for borough’s police chief, By Stacy Maldonado Franklin In a measure approved by Franklin Borough Council last week, Police Chief Joseph Kistle was given a new two-year contract with a 3.5 percent raise each year. Kistle was serving out the final year of a three-year contract and had been earning $120,032 for 2009. Now, with the new contract, Kistle will earn $124,233 for 2010, retroactive to Jan. 1. For the second year of this contract 2011 his salary will be $128,581. As per Kistle’s contract, he works a 40-hour, Monday through Friday workweek and is not eligible to receive overtime pay. He gets 25 vacation days, 15 holidays and seven court dates for a total of 47 days off. If he were to retire now, he would be allocated additional days “not to exceed 87.5 days.” The value of Kistle’s health insurance plan is estimated at $17,900 for 2010. “Of course, we don’t know the exact amount,” said Borough Administrator Rich Wolak, “since the year is not over yet.” In 2009, that health insurance cost Franklin $17,487; and in 2008, it cost $17,050. He also has eyeglass coverage valued at $250. His contract also allows Kistle “to attend annual conventions local, state and national,“ said Wolak, which could cost between $3,000 and $4,000 each year. “According to the latest contract, there is a $1,000 clothing allowance, and he is provided with a vehicle for police and personal use. That also includes car insurance,” Wolak said. Kistle drives a Dodge Magnum. Currently, Kistle also holds the title of Deputy Coordinator for the borough’s Office of Emergency Management and in this capacity receives a $250 stipend annually. Part of a team Overall, the borough of Franklin spends $1.4 million in salary and benefits for its police department of 14 officers, including the chief, Wolak said. Kistle has not been available since the Feb. 9 meeting for comment but Wolak noted that protection of the people is expensive. Franklin covers an area of 4.5 square miles and its population as of 2000 was at 5,160 that’s about 1,149 people per square mile. There are 46 miles of roads in the borough.
What others earn
According to Salary Wizard at salary.com, the median salary for a typical police chief in the United States is $93,980. The base salary for a New Jersey police chief is higher and ranges from $94,587 to $118,136.
In nearby Ogdensburg, Chief of Police Bill Varcadipane earns $105,000 “and just that,” he said. “I’m happy just having a job.“
Jan Wright, Chief of Police in Hamburg, earns a flat $87,000 with no extras. “I guess somebody’s got to be at the bottom,” Wright said.