Employees in the City of Chicago’s Fire Department have received annual salary increases of 8 to 10 percent over the last three years according to Chicago budget data.
The fire department employs almost 5,000 people. This year’s average salary for a fire department employee is $96,000.
As with most other city departments, the pay scale is top-heavy.
Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago, the fourth-highest paid city employee, has an annual base salary of almost $203,000. Pension, benefits and bonuses are extra. His base salary is only $13,000 less than Mayor Rahm Emanuel; Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s base salary is $45,000 more than the mayor.
Both the Chicago Fire Department and the Chicago Police Department appear at the bottom …show more content…
The top 13 percent of the fire department’s payroll perform strictly administrative functions and average approximately $140,000 per year. There was an increase in administrative positions in the last year alone.
Salaries for fire department employees have increased right along with the city’s budget. Six percent of the total city budget is allocated to the fire department. That came to $578 million in 2014, $597 million in 2015 and $621 million in 2016.
Governor Bruce Rauner’s press office condemned the significant budget and salary increases in an email response. His office also questioned how a cash-strapped city can afford to fund such a large increase. Rauner vetoed Emanuel’s fire and police pension bill in May and has been openly critical of the mayor’s financial policies.
Based on data collected from the city’s website, 93 percent of the fire department’s total budget has been spent on employee compensation over the last three years. Seventy-six percent pays base salaries and 17 percent pays miscellaneous benefits, overtime and bonuses. The final seven percent of the department’s budget pays for equipment, consumables, training, supplies and …show more content…
Of CPD’s $1.45 billion budget, 93 percent is spent on employee compensation.
Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said salary increases of 8 to 10 percent are stipulated in union contracts.
He declined to comment on how the salary increases are being funded.
In addition to stipulating raises, labor union contracts also typically stipulate employer pension payments. Over the last three years, the city of Chicago’s budget has been absent a pension payment line item and no individual city department lists a provision for pension payments within its own budget.
Illinois law requires local governments to make budget and salary information available to the public. The law’s stated interest is government transparency. However, the law does not prevent the city from providing vague descriptions for each cited expenditure.
The city is also required to detail each year’s projected and actual budget shortfall.
But according to the city’s 2015 budget documents, the projected deficit was $297 million. The budget also stated that it was balanced but by the end of the fiscal year, the city drew $681 million against short term lines of
The fire department employs almost 5,000 people. This year’s average salary for a fire department employee is $96,000.
As with most other city departments, the pay scale is top-heavy.
Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago, the fourth-highest paid city employee, has an annual base salary of almost $203,000. Pension, benefits and bonuses are extra. His base salary is only $13,000 less than Mayor Rahm Emanuel; Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s base salary is $45,000 more than the mayor.
Both the Chicago Fire Department and the Chicago Police Department appear at the bottom …show more content…
The top 13 percent of the fire department’s payroll perform strictly administrative functions and average approximately $140,000 per year. There was an increase in administrative positions in the last year alone.
Salaries for fire department employees have increased right along with the city’s budget. Six percent of the total city budget is allocated to the fire department. That came to $578 million in 2014, $597 million in 2015 and $621 million in 2016.
Governor Bruce Rauner’s press office condemned the significant budget and salary increases in an email response. His office also questioned how a cash-strapped city can afford to fund such a large increase. Rauner vetoed Emanuel’s fire and police pension bill in May and has been openly critical of the mayor’s financial policies.
Based on data collected from the city’s website, 93 percent of the fire department’s total budget has been spent on employee compensation over the last three years. Seventy-six percent pays base salaries and 17 percent pays miscellaneous benefits, overtime and bonuses. The final seven percent of the department’s budget pays for equipment, consumables, training, supplies and …show more content…
Of CPD’s $1.45 billion budget, 93 percent is spent on employee compensation.
Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said salary increases of 8 to 10 percent are stipulated in union contracts.
He declined to comment on how the salary increases are being funded.
In addition to stipulating raises, labor union contracts also typically stipulate employer pension payments. Over the last three years, the city of Chicago’s budget has been absent a pension payment line item and no individual city department lists a provision for pension payments within its own budget.
Illinois law requires local governments to make budget and salary information available to the public. The law’s stated interest is government transparency. However, the law does not prevent the city from providing vague descriptions for each cited expenditure.
The city is also required to detail each year’s projected and actual budget shortfall.
But according to the city’s 2015 budget documents, the projected deficit was $297 million. The budget also stated that it was balanced but by the end of the fiscal year, the city drew $681 million against short term lines of