New York police chief gets $774K payout after contract is terminated
A police chief in New York will receive $774,193 after officials terminated his contract.
The Southampton Village Board of Trustees voted 5-0 on July 20 to terminate the contract of Police Chief Thomas Cummings, giving him the payout once he leaves his position on Sept. 10. The amount, paid from the city’s employee benefit reserve fund, was calculated from unused vacation time and sick days, according to a report obtained by Newsday through a public records request.
“Moving forward, our board will work to reduce long-term debt and liabilities as we diligently search for the next chief of police. I wish Chief Cummings nothing but the best and thank him for his service,” said Southampton Mayor Jesse Warren, who has clashed with Cummings since the 2019 mayoral election.
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Cummings, who joined the force in 1987 and became police chief in 2011, stocked up 686 unused sick days over his career. His payout is calculated to be $1,095 per day with $23,000 extra per diem pay. His family will receive dental and medical benefits with no premiums until they die.
Cummings’s contract technically ended May 31, but it contained a clause that allowed him to extend it until the board voted not to renew it. If the board ended the contract in May, Cummings’s payout would have been $583,683.
In 2019, the police chief faced controversy for hiring his son, Thomas Cummings Jr., to an entry-level role as a police officer. The trustees voted unanimously to approve Cummings’s hiring.
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With the payout to Cummings Sr., the city is $115 million in long-term debt, according to Warren.
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Tags: News, New York, Police, debt, public employees, Worker Benefits, money
Original Author: Charles Hilu
Original Location: New York police chief gets $774K payout after contract is terminated
