The City of Oakland's 15-month saga of not having a full-time police chief will officially end next week when former Lubbock, Texas chief of police Floyd Mitchell takes over the job, but his compensation package is already drawing some complaints.
After going nearly a year and a half without a proper police chief, while crime soared in Oakland, the city's police commission and Mayor Sheng Thao finally managed to hire a permanent chief of police when former Lubbock, Texas police chief Floyd Mitchell was named to the job in late March. That announcement came nearly six full weeks ago, and Mitchell has still not started the job, though we’re now learning that part of the delay is because his brother died not long after he was named to the post, and he requested a period of mourning.
Bay Area News Group now reports that Mitchell will start the job on May 11, after Oakland City Council unanimously approved his $365,100-a-year contract Tuesday.
Mitchell has received a three-year contract, with an option for an automatic two-year renewal.
“I am truly looking forward to getting there, working with this council, working with my community members and my officers, working with the [federal] monitor and everyone that’s involved in making the Oakland Police Department better,” Mitchell said before the council voted, per the News Group.
On one hand, that salary range does not seem out of the ordinary. Consider that SFPD Chief Bill Scott makes a little over $350,000 a year, so Mitchell’s new approved salary is more or less in line with that.
But some of the perks being awarded to Mitchell seemed a little much to some city council members, even though they all voted to approve the contract. Mitchell’s base salary is $325,000, but he’s also getting $40,100 in “premium pay” bumps, including two extra $16,250 bumps for having a bachelor’s and master’s degree, a “uniform allowance” of $1,200, a monthly car allowance of $750, a $10,000 moving payment, and a $6,400 “longevity premium,” which seems odd considering he hasn’t even started the job yet.
That rubbed Oakland City Councilmember Dan Kalb the wrong way. “Isn’t that kind of thing something that you give to somebody if they’ve been around for a little while, and this guarantees they stick around beyond that?” Kalb asked before Tuesday’s vote. “I’ve never heard of a retention bonus the first year someone takes a position.”
Still, Kalb voted to approve the contract, as did all other councilmembers (though Councilmember Carol Fife was absent from the meeting). Oakland Chief Assistant City Attorney Ryan Richardson told the News Group that the longevity premium was a nod to Mitchell’s 25 years in law enforcement, and is industry-standard.
Related: Oakland Finally Names a Police Chief: Former Lubbock, Texas Police Chief Floyd Mitchell [SFist]
Image: @MayorShengThao via Twitter
