STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: mccaleb5thdist@aol.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com
STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: mccaleb5thdist@aol.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com
July 8, 2001
CAN WE THE VOTERS AND TAXPAYER OF
LONG BEACH
AFFORD OUR MAYOR AND ALDERMEN?
By CHRISTINE HARVEY
THE SUN HERALD
Friday, August 18, 2006
City Clerk Becky Schruff said the commission has to create a new job classification and decide on
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Chief
salaries Coast police chiefs earn compensation packages consisting of a base salary, pay for experience and, in some cases, pay for their education: Biloxi: salary, $67,746*; population, 50,644
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new salary for Bishop, who has assumed a job no one in the city has ever held.
Long Beach's new interim chief, Mark Dunston, earns $55,900 per year, or 31 percent more than his predecessor, Tom Bishop. He also makes more than Mayor Robert Bass, who earns $43,688.
It seems too me that it is costing the taxpayers of Long Beach more than just increasing Mark Dunston salary by 31 percent.
Keeping the fired police chief on the city payroll, creating a new position and then having to establish a new salary.
I can see our taxes going up just to support these two decisions; is it politics or friendship?
LONG BEACH - The city no longer lags behind smaller cities when it comes to paying its police chief.
The salary should stay this same as Tom Bishop's, the taxpayers need to vote on an increase.
After all we are the people which pay the salaries of elected officials and state agency employee's.
Long Beach's new interim chief, Mark Dunston, earns $55,900 per year, or 31 percent more than his predecessor, Tom Bishop. He also makes more than Mayor Robert Bass, who earns $43,688.
If Mark Dunston wants to take the position police chief, he should except the same salary as Tom Bishop's.
The city of Long Beach does not need to take on more debt.
If Dunston, who started work July 1 for an initial 90-day period, becomes permanent chief, he is expected to continue earning at least that much.
The statement, "earning at least that much," means his salary and perks may be more.
The increase makes Dunston the fourth-highest paid chief on the Coast, trailing Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, all larger cities.
Is the Mayor and Aldermen bragging about the fact, "We the People" or taxpayers may have our taxes increased to pay for a new job position and police chief.
When Bishop was chief, his salary lagged behind police chiefs in the smaller cities of Gautier and Bay St. Louis, as well as Ocean Springs, which has only 95 fewer residents than Long Beach.
The city of Long Beach pays what it can afford within it tax base.
Having to create a new job classification for a fired police chief is uncalled for.
Paying the new interim police 31 percent more is also uncalled for.
Is Civil Service costing the taxpayers more than it's worth, perhaps.
The pay was only slightly higher than that of Waveland, which has a population less than half that of Long Beach.
Does Waveland get casino money from, "Magic Casino?" If so I can understand the salary of there police chief.
The pay increase was necessary to bring in someone of Dunston's caliber, even if it stretches the city's already-tight budget, said Alderman Gary Ponthieux.
I believe Dunston's caliber is going to be more than the city can afford.
Let vote to make the Mississippi Gulf Coast a Metropolitan area and combine all of the cities services into one service.
“I really think you have to give him what he's worth,” Ponthieux said. “You get what you pay for today. If it costs the city right now, it's worth it.”
Perhaps the city needs to go back to when our aldermen were not paid for there services.
They ran for elected office to serve the people in there district, not for the money they make now.
Alderman Jimmy Levens said the higher pay was needed to bring change to the Police Department. He also lamented the fact that Bishop was the fifth person in less than six years to act as chief.
If the city would get away from hiring there "good ole boy's" and hire qualified people, perhaps we would not have five police chief's in six year.
“We've got to do whatever it takes to get it right,” Levens said. “(Dunston's) more than deserving of it and more than qualified for it.
I believe Mark Dunston will make a great police chief, but not at the expense of the taxpayers and voters of Long Beach.
Know person should make more money than the Mayor, and the Mayor salary is right where it should be, who earns $43,688.
Dunston was chief in Long Beach once before, from September 1996 to March 1998. As chief, he made $39,000, but he left Long Beach to take a job making $60,000 with the Mississippi Police Corps at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
Since Dunston left the position as police chief because of the low salary, why is he coming back to still take a pay cut.
Something is not adding up here, but I can't put my finger on it, (yet).
The Board of Aldermen rehired Dunston last month after Bishop stepped down to become a warrants and building code enforcement officer for the city. He also will work to get an environmental court for the city off the ground.
I am confused, when the Mayor and Aldermen removed Tom Bishop as police chief, (he was fired).
Now they say he, (stepped down) to become a warrants and building code enforcement officer.
But there never has been a warrants and building code enforcement officer position in Long Beach.
So, now the City Clerk, Becky Schruff, said the commission has to create a new job classification and decide on a new salary for Bishop, who has assumed a job no one in the city has ever held.
I can't get water in my home that does not smell like sewer water, but our Mayor and Aldermen can create a new job classification to a fired police chief and increase the salary by 31 percent to another police chief.
It sounds like corruption to me!
In the meantime, Bishop still makes his $42,608 chief's salary. The city's Civil Service Commission will discuss reclassifying him at a meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Ponthieux said.
The Mayor and Aldermen fired the police chief, but still pays him his salary as police chief.
I vote we replace the Mayor and Aldermen, we can't afford them.
You could say that Long Beach has the best elected officials money can buy!!
City Clerk Becky Schruff said the commission has to create a new job classification and decide on a new salary for Bishop, who has assumed a job no one in the city has ever held.
I rest my case!!
I have never heard of such BS in one city in all my life.
And that is what we the voters and
taxpayers in Long Beach have at this point.
Christine Harvey can be reached at 896-2393 or at clharvey@sunherald.com
STEVEN A. McCALEB
COMMENTARY
MY OPINION