Brookfield Fire Chiefs Give Up $35,000 in Pay to Help City

In a move that could save the city $10,000 this year and $25,000 in 2012, all six chiefs of the City of Brookfield Fire Department have volunteered to contribute 5.8 percent of their net pay to the city, according to Mayor Steve Ponto.

Although police and fire employees, including management, are exempt from paying the 5.8 percent pension deductions required of all other municipal employees under the state collective bargaining law, the chiefs have decided as a matter of fairness to make the same contributions toward their pensions.

“I believe the staff decided to make the contribution because of the inequities the Legislature made in exempting public safety and transit employees and (we) want to do what is best for the city,” Fire Chief Charlie Myers wrote in an e-mail to Ponto.

The city's firefighters are not affected by the move and will not be required to pay toward the cost of their pensions.

The chiefs' voluntarily contributions will begin with the same Aug. 26 paycheck as all other non-represented city employees. This decision was made with no knowledge of the mayor or city administrative staff, and is not offset by other compensation, according to the mayor.

Ponto lauded the chiefs for their “fair-mindedness and commitment” to the city.

“With all the divisiveness of what went on in Madison, I think it’s incredibly fair-minded and generous of them to do this,” he said.

“We are grateful for their commitment, not only to protecting the residents of Brookfield but, also, to the long-term fiscal health of our City,” Ponto wrote in an e-mail about the issue.