NITRO, W.Va. — The City of Nitro will have to address a way to pay off thousands of hours of compensation that it owes its police force over the past five years.
At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, new police Chief Steve Walker estimated that over $212,000 is owed to 17 officers over that time period. One of his first tasks as new chief was accumulating data and coming up with a payment plan.
“The police officers have accumulated compensatory time, vacation time and holiday over several years,” Walker explained. “Not just in this administration but in past administrations.”
Mayor Dave Casebolt wan’t surprised by the number, saying that over 9,000 hours had to be addressed.
“He has suggested the first year that we pay (almost $48,000) the first year, and that that reduces down to $11,000 in the fifth year,” Casebolt said.
Casebolt said that himself, Walker and City Treasurer John Young would decide among the three of them the best plan to pay off the debt and present it at a future council meeting.
How was this allowed to snowball so long?
“Because the department was shorthanded for the most part. Or they chose not to take their time off. And past city administrations decided to allow them to carry over (vacation time),” Walker said.
Casebolt noted that the debt isn’t as bad as it could be, but a plan for a permeanant solution is needed.
“When I came in, (former police chief Brian) Oxley sat down and we started addressing it,” the mayor said. “And we had reduced these hours quite a bit. But we need to just go ahead and come up with a plan to eliminate the problem.”