Police chief could retire, then be rehired as contractor
Monday's City Council agenda calls for the council to vote on whether to re-hire Police Chief Michael Billdt and Assistant Chief Mitch Kimball as contractors.
Such an action would allow the police officials to collect retirement incomes and a wage at the same time.
Billdt would earn $97.93 per hour as a contractor. Kimball would earn $86.87 per hour under the arrangement. The wages are reflective of a 10 percent pay cut, according to the request for council action.
Their appointments as contractors would take effect Monday.
Capt. Ernie Lemos would receive an appointment as acting police chief from 12:01 Sunday to 12:59 p.m. Monday.
Extensive details on Billdt's or Kimball's retirements were not available late Thursday. Police Capt. Scott Paterson said the two were not available to speak until Friday.
Mayoral chief of staff Jim Morris said Billdt and Kimball were not obtaining a medical retirement. He said the arrangement allows Billdt to collect benefits that he has earned from the state's Public Employee Retirement System while the city does not have to hire an interim chief for 6-8 weeks until a permanent successor is hired.
"They have the right to retire and begin that process," Morris said.
He said retirement payouts won't affect the city's finances and a police chief's salary is an unavoidable expense.
"We need a police chief. We would pay that to him or someone else," Morris said.
Billdt announced in September 2008 that he would retire in March. He revealed earlier this month that he planned to stay in office for some additional weeks. The police union took its second no confidence vote against Billdt after the latter announcement.
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and....why not just let Captain Ernie Lemos assume the duties as police chief until a new one could be hired...send these two other fine policemen onto their merry way and enjoy a sense of cost savings .....whats with the contractor status?.....whats next?.....hire them to watch the Carousel mall for 100 bucks an hour?.....oh wait...they have an over abundance of retired or wanna be cops over there anyways watching an empty building...stymied again.....
Hello PD & POA, just when you thought it could get no worse look what has popped up!
Talk about breach of good faith and good-ole’ boy politics…only in San Bernardino. The problems of this past summer that surrounded the SBChief and PD were resolved by the Mayor by telling the PD and the citizens (voters) of SB that the Chief would NOT quit nor get fired, but would retire March 2009. That went up like a lead balloon but AGAIN, everyone took the Mayor at his word. Then came the bombshell that the Chief was going to stay “at the special request” of the Mayor until the budget issue is resolved. Then it was until a replacement was found. (Like what is wrong with the Asst Chief…HELLO!!). Now they (they had to be in bed together on this all along) have surprised everyone again with another bomb.
FLASH…How do you tell when the Mayor is lying?? His lips are moving of course!
Not that you can tell, but this very opinionated watchdog is now speechless. Come on elections, before there is nothing left of SB and all those who (try) to work here and live here just revolt. In my earlier blog I was kidding about it being the water…not I am not so sure.
OMG how shameless can Billdt and his good buddy Kimball be?? This is incredible.
After all that has gone on, all the disenchantment from the public and the police officers, these 2 clowns have the audacity to ask the city for a DOUBLE PAY CHECK!!
Billdt and Kimball need to get out of town now and stop screwing the city!! Don't let the door hit you on the way out!!
There people don't know when to go home! As long as you (citizens of San Bernardino) have this silly-ass Pa Kettle you voted in as mayor, you'll always have the dishonesty at 300 North 'D' Street. YOU voted him in, now do the right thing and recall this myopic as was suggested about a year ago and call it a day - the time is right and well over due. When are you people gonna wake up, instead of following each other like a bunch of sheep?
RECALL - WHO SAID THAT?
JRD said:
There people don't know when to go home! As long as you (citizens of San Bernardino) have this silly-ass Pa Kettle you voted in as mayor, you'll always have the dishonesty at 300 North 'D' Street. YOU voted him in, now do the right thing and recall this myopic as was suggested about a year ago and call it a day - the time is right and well over due. It's time to wake up and stop acting like a bunch of sheep!
RECALL - WHO SAID THAT?
To Gary, This is unbelievable, and others-
Undoubtedly, the main reason Capt. Lemos is not the permanent acting chief until the next one comes in is very understandable. Running a police department requires someone who is familiar and knowledgable with the daily ins and outs at that level to put it simply. The position is not one most people desire, few achieve, but yet catch hell from all angles.
While Lemos is a good person he is not ready to assume that position under the current conditions. Running a police department requires senior managers at different levels such as investigations, patrol, services etc. To pull him from his position or to saddle him with additional high pressure duties would not be in the best interest of the department.
Also, Billdt and Kimball did not have the "audacity" to ask the city for a double paycheck. Their retirement is a seperate entity to begin with. The city (Mayor, City Manager, majority of council),knew that a new Chief may not be in place when Billdts retirement became effective. THEY wanted him to stay on until things were finalized and a new chief could be updated so his/her transition goes smoothly. Of course, thats if the POA leadership says thats OK and wants the transition to go smoothly.
The city manager is an unbiased person who was hired by the city to look out for its best interests. Interestly enough he recently said in all his years this POA leadership is the most dysfunctional and morally bankrupt he has dealt with. He is one of the aforementioned who realized this needed to occur for a short time. But with the mindset of some out there he is also BAD because he is not going along with the scheme but is looking out for the cities interest. In reading some of the blogs I have to wonder what type of crowd is out there. Sure seems to be many who are uneducated, misinformed, misleading people who are spewing hatred via much hearsay.
To Get Real:
You are a real piece of work. I would think you are Billdt, but he can't write that well, considering that he is probably the only chief in the nation without a legitimate 4 year degree.
What do you mean their retirement is a "separate entity"? No its not, its paid by the taxpayers also!
Taking a pension AND a taxpayer funded paycheck is as low as it gets. Its called "double dipping" and it shouldnt be allowed in this city during a time of economic crisis.
I look at it this way......he's actually on his way out. A step in the right direction wouldn't you say? Now, only if Morris and his weird son would go too.
To Get Real,
I carefully read what you said and understand the differences between a pension that is earned and paid thru CalPers. I also understand that the city leaders or many of them wanted the chief to stay on and pay him until the next chief comes in. Its unfortunate and another example of the how the misinformed "Dickerson" resorts to insults and misleading statements. Thanks for shedding some light on this and reflecting on blogs prior to yours.
Have peoples IQs just plummeted??
What do you think "CalPERS" does, grow on a tree?? No, it's paid for by my tax dollars!
The last thing we need in the midst of an economic crisis is for an ineffective chief to "double-dip" from the public cash pot to the tune of more than $300,000.
just more loads of crap heaped upon the citizens of San Bernardino....the sky is falling ,the sky is falling...not only a childrens fable....but regular ole everyday life in a s**thole we call hoome
Most of the sworn veterans tried to stay out of this fight but can't anymore. Our Chief is a traitor. He was willing to sacrafice our own guys with a smile on his face and blame it on the POA. He and the Mayor acted like it was in our contract to give up 10% whenever they decided it was time.
Well im sick of it! We had a contract that we negotiated in good faith. We kept our end of the bargain and went out and took on anything that happened on the streets. Neither the Mayor or our Chief can say they were out on the front lines. It was the patrolman, detectives and Sgt's. They earned their money and then were told cough up 10 % or we lay off your friends and co-workers.
And now our great Chief and his assistant are going to be each making 20,000 a month as contractors. Well enough is enough. Negotiate in good faith and dont act like we caused this problem. Don't make demands and act like we have to take it.
When was Mitch Kimball promoted to Asistant Chief? He was a CAPTAIN certified to the AC spot. Why not just bring back AC Goggin?
If I remember correctly, the city just declared a "FISCAL EMERGENCY". Well, I don't see the EMERGENCY when you continue to waste the taxpayer's money on the very same people who are part of the fiscal crisis!
Kimball is a fraud and a bully! We're fed up Mayor!!! If you think the airplane was embarassing...wait and see what happens next!
Ready the pitchforks and torches.
More money that does not need to be spent...be'n spent. Why bring them BOTH back? When Sheriff Penrod announced his retirement the county board promoted Hoops as acting Sheriff until the elections. Why not just keep either Kimbal OR Billdt. But WHY both!? Again with this department and it's 'top heavy-ness.' It's Ok to have positions open in the rank and file and in the Detective office but heaven for-bid we should an open position at the top!
Fed Up, Why is Goggin no longer there? Was he a victim of POA/Chief politics or is there more to the story? It does make you wonder.
I came across this blog and after reading some entries want to clarify some issues. As far as CalPers it is a tax payer retirement system. It is paid for by all tax payers including police, fire, teachers, and others who are in the system. It is perpetually supported by these same groups with their taxes and those matched by cities/employers via negotiated understandings. So in response to Shaun, peoples IQ's have not plummeted as he is partly right. But, the retirement system of CalPers is in a way a seperate entity and that is what I believe one person was referring to above. That is why the state of California has been trying to dip into it on different occasions because it has been successful and solvent despite the economic times were currently in.
Regarding the Chief he is receiving monthly pay until the next Chief comes on. This was agreed to by many in city government. Between his retirement that he has paid into, and the amount he will receive until out of office it is far less than $300,000. Providing your talking on monthly terms.
As far as A/C Goggin, it is my understanding he has been in the system for 32 years, is tired of the POA antics, (of which he was once a member), and decided to retire. Hope this helps.
Why not get rid of all admin - yes Lt. and above ALL OF THEM- they all seem to do nothing anyways and don't have the respect of the rank and file. Promote Sgts and detectives up and establish a whole new admin.
Seems to me the rank and file has lost faith in the current admin and the only guys respected and trusted are the guys out there everyday (not the ones sitting behind desks and hiding behind closed doors) fighting crime and working with the officers.
Lets get a whole new administration in there - one who has the best interest of the officers and citizens in mind. These are the guys who go out day after day and protect SB! All admin is doing is draining the cities money and sitting on their fat asses (and yes, I have seen them - they couldn't go out now and fight crime if they had to!)
Fed up with the current administration. Lets not stop there either - city hall should be next! Bye Pat and Jim and Weinberg (Whine berg)! Your still collecting your fat pay checks while others are taking cuts! Pat will have to hang around til Jimbo gets another job seeing it is daddy who pays him!
It sounds like City Hall Observer is answering based on hearsay at best. Does Fed Up or someone else have info as to why Goggin left? I still wonder, given all the changes, at the timing of everything.....
Billdt makes around $160,000 right now. 90% of that is what he gets in retirement, for the rest of his life. That is about $150,000.
His new wage as a "contractor" is about $80 per hour, or about $160,000 per year.
Therefor, Billdt is now set to "double-dip" from the taxpayers dollars to the tune of over $300,000 per year.
Must be nice to be a total screwup and still get fat eating out of the public's bowl.
Thank you Chief Billdt and AC Kimball! I hope you both can teach the POA (specifically Lawhead) a great lesson. You have both done a great job and Lawhead's agenda has been put to sleep. Thank you Chief for a job well done.
If its ok I will remain anonymous but Shauns figures are off. The Chief will not be at the PD for a year but if so, then he would earn the 300,000+ between his well deserved CalPers and Contractor pay. But he will be gone within a month or two. That puts his total earnings well below the erroneous 300,000 in a year. After what he has had to put up with he probably deserves it though and more.
Also, Goggin did retire because of longevity and being tired of POA garbage. Good luck to Billdt and Kimball, the BS you have had to endure from the leadership of the POA would test the resolve of many.
Ha, the chief deserves more!!
Did you say the chief will be gone by then? No one ever knows when he'll leave, he's already broken his word on his retirement date numerous times.
My numbers are not off, they are right on. More than $300,000 annual compensation.
Billdt and Kimball are two of the shadiest, most unethical jerks in city government. They retired in the middle of the night, started collecting huge pensions, then didn't even show up to the council meeting where they were given free passes to double-dip from the public pot.
To don't understand,
Not all the admin is a problem. We have some great LT's and even a couple Captains who have stayed out of this mess. Trust me, there are some LT's who I think a lot of people would want to be Chief, but they don't want the headache. Everyone shouldn't be painted with the same brush here.
I agree with you we do have alot of fine LT's and yes Captains who are great individuals. And there are a few who would make an excellent Chief - don't blame them for not wanting the headache.
However, where I have lost respect is that they can't stand up for what they believe and voice their opinions. They all still hide behind Bildt and Kimball. Afraid of any kind of retaliation if they dare speak out or talk to us.
They keep saying they have given concessions but why won't they tell us what? They won't even tell us in conversation - or let it leak out. If they had nothing to hide then they should be open.
I find it sad that they too hide in their offices and have troubles facing us. That is why I have lost respect in individuals I once admired and respected.