Acting fire, cop chiefs get raises

Bridgeport council members protest; Fabrizi stays firm

BILL CUMMINGS bcummings@ctpost.com

BRIDGEPORT — The city's acting fire and police chiefs have been granted provisional promotions, with raises of $13,000 and $6,000, respectively.

The Civil Service Commission has agreed to promote acting Police Chief Anthony Armeno and acting Fire Chief Brian Rooney to provisional status, a step up from their initial interim appointments. That means a $13,000-a-year raise for Rooney and a $6,000 annual boost for Armeno.

Both were deputy chiefs before becoming acting chiefs earlier this year, and got no raises at the time.

But a group of City Council members is demanding the Civil Service Commission rescind the new status, saying the move amounts to a giveaway that will enable both chiefs to retire with a higher pension if they don't become permanent chief.

"Two individuals were given their golden parachutes and the public got the golden fleece," said City Council member Edwin Gomes, D-135.

The status change raises Armeno's $87,258 salary as a deputy chief to $93,487 as provisional chief. Rooney's $80,748 pay as a deputy fire chief jumps to $93,487 as provisional fire chief.

Both Armeno and Rooney are vying for the permanent chief's job in their respective departments.

Along with Gomes, council members Elaine Pivirotto and Robert Walsh,  both Democrats from 132nd District, called on the Civil Service Commission and Mayor John M. Fabrizi to rescind the provisional rank for the two men.

Fabrizi said he has no intention of opposing the provisional rank.

"These council members shoot from the hip and complain about everything. The chief's job has awesome responsibilities," the mayor said.

Fabrizi said if either chief fails to obtain the position on a permanent basis, their rank will return to its previous level of deputy chief. He also said that under an acting designation, neither was eligible for sick pay or vacation time.

Fabrizi said Armeno has at least five years before he is likely to retire, and Rooney told him he has no intention of retiring in the near future.

Still, Pivirotto said both provisional chiefs could serve for less than six months and retire. In that case, they would receive pensions based on the rank of chief.

Those pensions, the council members claim, would cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

"This action is unconscionable," the council members said in a prepared statement.

Ralph Jacobs, the city's personnel director, said if neither chief receives the job permanently, both salaries would revert to the deputy chief level if they continue to work.

But if Rooney were to retire after failing to become chief, he could retire based on the chief level, Jacobs said. However, Jacobs said he believes that if Armeno fails to be hired as permanent chief, he could not retire at the higher pay grade.

He stressed the police and fire commissions would make the final determinations regarding pensions.

Gomes said the provisional rank is another example of how the Fabrizi administration lacks "backbone" when it comes to saying "no" to individuals.

Walsh added, "It's a way of greasing the skids. If [either chief] does not get permanent status, they will retire."

The three council members admitted there may not be much that can be done to reverse the civil service decision. But they said they plan to seek more information from the city attorney's office on what checks and balances can be put into place to stop the process from going forward.

Bill Cummings, who covers regional issues, can be reached at 330-6230.