City officials are setting aside $11 million in their 2021 budget to cover unused leave time payments for police officers and firefighters who may retire during the coming year.
About $6 million would cover retirement payments for 46 police officers eligible for retirement during the 2021 fiscal year, according to information provided during a city budget hearing last week. That amounts to about $130,000 per officer.
Councilman Flavio Rivera, chairman of the finance committee, said Paterson needs to set some type of limit on the payouts.
“The city will never be able to come out of this hole,” Rivera said during last week’s hearing. Police Chief Ibrahim “Mike” Baycora noted that Paterson already has cut back on the payouts. The chief seemed to be referring to a change in the compensation known as “terminal leave” provided to Paterson’s cops and firefighters under their union contracts.