NL Council Figures Soldier Earned His Pay
But towns differ on how long they pay employees serving in Iraq, Kuwait

By KATE MORAN
Day Staff Writer, New London
Published on 3/26/2005

New London— Financial worries did not trouble Spc. Gregory Stott during the first six months of his deployment in Iraq, although he earns considerably less from the Rhode Island Army National Guard than he does in his civilian job as a New London firefighter.

Stott benefited from a policy the city adopted in 2003 that guarantees employees the difference between their military and municipal salaries for the first six months of their deployment. But Stott, who is 36 and unmarried, anticipated a more difficult future when the city would cut off his pay at the end of that time.

He was surprised and relieved to learn that the City Council voted this month to extend his compensation while he remains in Iraq for six more months with Rhode Island's 173rd Infantry Detachment, which conducts long-range surveillance.

“I was concerned about the rest of the year, but the news that my pay will be extended will help to alleviate any hardship for me,” Stott wrote by e-mail from Iraq. “I am grateful that the council voted to extend the differential of my pay. I know they were not obligated, so it was most generous of them to do that.”

A federal law requires civilian employers to hold jobs for workers who get called to active military duty, but there is no comparable mandate that dictates whether they have to pay their employees during the term of deployment.

Cities and towns in the area have divergent policies for compensating police officers, firefighters and other municipal employees who have been tapped to serve in Iraq or Kuwait. Waterford pays a full salary for 30 days and then suspends compensation entirely, while Norwich provides a salary differential for an entire year.

The state of Connecticut has set the standard with the most generous policy: it pays the full salary for 30 days and then continues to make up the difference between the military and civilian salaries for the full term of deployment.

Most towns, forced to loan only a handful of employees to the war, have avoided setting a formal policy and instead handle compensation on an individual basis. East Lyme, Stonington, Enfield and Groton Town have all shied from formal policies, although Groton followed the state's model when one of its police officers was enlisted by the Coast Guard.

In some cases, fear that the federal government will continue to rely on the reserves and National Guard for manpower in a drawn-out conflict has dissuaded local officials from promising a salary to employees who get called to serve.

The East Lyme school board intends to pay a middle school physical education teacher his salary differential for his full term in Iraq. The town also paid the differential for one of two police officers who was called to serve for nine months.

“We don't have a blanket policy; we look at each case on its own merits,” finance director David Funke said. “I don't think town legislative bodies want to start setting a precedent that every time someone gets called up to serve, the town's going to foot the bill. It was a nice thing to do because our guys were pulled away from their families. Everybody thought it was not going to be dragging on the way it did.”

Richard Brown, the city manager in New London, is more blunt about the cost of war for cities and towns. He paints the issue of compensation as a point of stress between the federal government, which deployed the troops, and the local governments, which are being forced to shoulder some of the cost. When councilors were considering Stott's pay, Brown encouraged them to save the money because the city is weathering financial difficulties.

Councilors, who by city ordinance can renew Stott's salary differential for six more months, were wary of cutting off an employee while he performs a public service.

“There is some sacrifice on behalf of the city, but there is more sacrifice on behalf of him and his family,” Councilor Beth Sabilia said of Stott. “The federal government is shifting the responsibility to municipalities to ensure that no one is economically harmed by serving his country. That doesn't mean the city should turn its back on its municipal employees.”

In addition to making up the difference between Stott's base pay as a firefighter, $3,960 per month, and his pay as a soldier, $1,612 per month, the city must pay another firefighter to cover his shift. When Stott returns from Iraq, the department must also renew his qualifications to operate the fire vehicles.

“There are some things that have changed, and it'll take us a little bit of time to bring him back up to speed before he is fully returned to duty,” Fire Chief Ronald Samul said.

Stott, a Norwichtown resident who was just named the city's Firefighter of the Year, appreciates the way New London has handled the disruptions caused by his deployment.

“I think the city is being more than fair by offering to extend my pay, as I was activated by the federal government and the city had no control over losing an employee to the war,” he wrote from Iraq.

k.moran@theday.com