Sat, 04/24/2010 - 11:12am - Posted by: SHOREMAN

From 2009 City of Wildwood Salaries List
1 Fire Chief @ $ 79,086
5 Captains @ $85,590 each
9 Fire Fighters @ $75,284.91 each
1 Fire Fighter @ $67,588 2009 Total $ 1,252,188
(Plus two volunteer fire departments for 1.3 sq. mile town)

From 2009 City of Wildwood Salaries List
1 Police Chief @ $113,542
2 Captains @ $104,672 each
5 Lieutenants @ $86,362 each
8 Sergeants @ $79,596 each
18 Police Officers @ $73,360 each
4 Police Officers @ $61,960 each
6 Police Officers @ $47,322 each
2 Police on leave
(3 additional officers hired during
2009 after this salary list)
2009 Total $ 3,243,716**
** Police & Fire up for new contract.
(All above salaries do not include longevity pay which State advised to stop in 2002.)

The ratio of police officers and higher echelon is top heavy and ridiculous for a 1.3 square mile resort town with less than 3,000 year-round residents. Having 1 Chief, 1 Lieutenant, 3 Sergeants and 25 police officers on the street and hiring more class II officers would be a more efficient (the cost of medical benefits and longevity pay would be another savings) and would save the taxpayers over $1 million per year.

Sat, 04/24/2010 - 2:21am - Posted by: Chuck Barefoot

hey tmiller, I completely agree... Everyone's up in arms over a cop or a teacher losing their job. But no one cares if a public office worker loses theirs. and to the one who said how dare we laugh at a father losing his job with kids to feed, ehh ehmm screw you jack-a*s but what makes him any more special than a single mother working at save- a - lot or a single dad who drives truck. thats the problem around here, you're only "special" if you have a bunch of well-off idiots in your back pocket. well cops are people just like any other, they have a risky job, but so do the men on an oil rig, or how about our friggen troops, here you're worried about 3 men who'll probably make more on unemployment than a vast majority of the residents in the county make working a full-time job.

Thu, 04/22/2010 - 3:42pm - Posted by: 3percentlou

i hope they don't lay me off, i need to buy 4 packs of cigarettes to smoke by the firehouse everyday. then i'll have to pay for my own gas to drive 120 mi. back & forth to the smoking area in wildwood from my fancy house in another county far far away. and i need a new police car too, my current one smells like smoke.

Thu, 04/22/2010 - 8:45am - Posted by: tmiller123

I'm glad to see nobody is disrupted by the 29 public works employees getting laid off. But a few cops get laid off and people think the world is coming to an end. Trust me, when your driving though wildwood in the middle of january and there are more cops driving around then people, you will not miss them. Wildwood has gotten so bad over the years and the cops let it get that way. I remember a time when the clubs were open till 5 am. All of the rooming houses had kids partying in them, you know when wildwood used to be busy. Now they cut all of the acceptable partying out, and seems like crime is on the rise more and more every year. So lets see, they now have less than half of the people breaking the law then they used to and the crime rate is still on the rise. Looks like they have been doing a great job. Maybe they could take Chris Lambert out of lower and use him to show them how to crack down on crime because what they are doing apparently isn't working.

Thu, 04/22/2010 - 7:16am - Posted by: shortii

why would you lay off any police officers when you have three high ranking which would also be high paid getting ready to retire. there's where you save your money. the patrolmen tried to save the town money by switching to 12 hour shifts but the chief and his cronies wouldn't go for it. had they of switched it would have cut down on unnecessary over time. did anyone know that they pay out overtime so they can take a department picture, three hours overtime, what does that add up to. everyone wants to wine and cry about nothing they know about. stop and talk to some of the officers, I'm sure they will tell you where the money is spent. Getting rid of the people who work are not the answer, start with the brass that never leaves the station. get rid of the chief who has lost touch with reality. for once do the right thing and start at the top.

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 7:40pm - Posted by: romeofrosty

I guess he solved his legal dilema, as to wether to remain mayor or a cop. By laying himself off, he gets to stay mayor. Since he did'nt have to quit or resign from the PD, he gets to come back if those positions lost are re-filled at a later time, to Wildwood or ANY other department that may have an opening. He would go right to the top of any civil service list! The real question is, is he gonna be eligible to collect unemployment now, along with his mayor's salary, since that is not a full-time job?

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 4:57pm - Posted by: Coastal Living

SHOREMAN...you need to make an appointment with your doctor to get some new meds. FIRST, there is only 1 Captian. (one just retired and the chief wasn't going to replace him. however Demarzo is replacing him with Deputy chief. So much for saving $$$) Secondly there are 5 Lieutenants and 6 Sergeants. With your bloated numbers, I assume you are a pot stirring idiot. Ask the department how many guys put in their papers to retire within a year! Also, your information is incorrect about time off in the summer. It is their contract that they can't take off in the summer for obvious reasons. That isn't to say a day here or there. I suggest you get a new hobby since you are clearly not good at the one you have now!

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 10:25am - Posted by: kenzo

even with furloughs and wage and other concessions, the savings would not be enough to not increase taxes. WW has over 100 more fulltime employees than NW or WC. While no one likes to see people lose there jobs, this should have happen a few years ago or it could have been done by attrition without anyone losing their job but its too late now.

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 9:17am - Posted by: localguy83

Full time Police Officers on this island do not vacation themselves in the summer months. It is in their contracts that they cannot take off during the summer months due to the crowds of summer tourists.

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 6:40am - Posted by: k8heg

Oh my goodness, you people must be ideal employees! Sounds like no one has ever done anything personal on work time or for that matter eaten a donut. Policemen are people too, not robocop. When you go to work, see how many conversations you have with co-workers that are not job related, personal phone calls you make or if you are eating anything when you are not on an official break. I'm glad they sit in fromt of bars because I don't want the DuI guy driving down my street. Even if there were 200 WW cops the chance of any police dept. catching someone in the act is slim. I didn't have to call them Sat. morning to tell them someone broke in my car, because they knocked on the door to tell me. They found a trail of property from another car breakin and were looking in parked cars to see if anyone else was broken into. We need more policemen not less, that was the 3rd timed in a year ,

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 1:43am - Posted by: SHOREMAN

The layed off police most likely weren't working in the summer months anyway. They usually vacation themselves in those months and let the part-time rookies handle the boardwalk and the summer crowds. I have rarely seen experienced police officers in the summer months on the boardwalk or Pacific Ave. club district. Many of these unneeded full-time police jobs seem to be no-show jobs anyway. In the off season, we certainlly don't need to top heavy 5 Captains, 7Lieutenants, 9 Sergeants. We need officers on the streets, i.e. part-time officers in the seasonal months when the population swells.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 4:49pm - Posted by: jetski1

God, i HATE Wildwood!

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 4:34pm - Posted by: woodman

I know cops that I have not seen on the streets in years.

I would say that if the police department is short-staffed it's because too much money is being wasted. Maybe we have too much administration. Don't blame the public if not enough police are on the street.

We are getting the budget that we can afford. If the police and fire departments want to save some of their own they have the ability to make this happen. This is not the only small town with budget problems. Other towns have been able to bargain with unions to save jobs. That has to happen because the taxpayer is tapped out.

The unions and employees have the power to save these jobs.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 4:18pm - Posted by: SurfPunk

wwcowner - Pay attention - I spoke of the Governor specifically - not the Republican Party. Your republican GOVERNOR is imposing funding cuts that make firing 5 experienced POs necessary and creating the very situation you describe and fear.. This is happening here and across the state. If Corzine was elected and he did this I would be furious - betrayed at that. I bet anyone who voted for Christie is pretty shocked by this. Not at trying tio reign in spending but the tactics and the results.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 3:28pm - Posted by: wwcowner

I'm very happy with my Republican party----however I can't see Wilwood laying off good police and fire and any other experienced people and then turn around and have police coming fresh out of the Academy with NO experience. Experience and maturity are needed, not some rookie who hasn't a clue---hate to find out the hard way sometime this Summer on the Boardwalk when trouble starts and the ROOKIE can't handle it.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 2:47pm - Posted by: SurfPunk

Wildwood can ill-afford to be down 5 police officers so I hope all you Republicans are happy with your Governor! The same arrogant, pig-headed, inflexible behavior that got us into Iraq is now being employed here in NJ. While I think changes need to made, this is a clear case of the ends not justifying the means.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 1:38pm - Posted by: tmiller123

hey local guy, How long does it take to drive from 26th st to Heather Ave with police light s on going 40 mph.....lets see 3 minutes or less WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT????? How about you get yourself a police scanner and see how busy wildwood police really are. I know in the summer they might be a little busy, but how many cops do you need to sit out in front of a bar and pick up drunk chicks all night.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 12:53pm - Posted by: Goingbananas

Once again Gary DeMarzo has made a decision as Commissioner that will directly effect his position as mayor. How convenient !! Is this legal?

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 12:28pm - Posted by: ww concerned citizen

Keep drinking the Kool-aid, didn't you people learn from your mistakes in last Nov's election. These 3 guys, whom I voted for 2 of, are not what they seem. You want to laugh @ a father of three w/ a mortgage and wife, who is going to lose his job, thats pretty low. camden condo guy, I'm not from here but it is my home now, if you don't like it go back to where you came from, the Greener pastures, if you're from here why would you compare your home to Camden? Where's the problem? Are you ready for the problems to come knockin on your front door? Laying off 4 low ranking patrolmen, who are actually on the street, is a bad move all around, especially when 3 of them are paid for for the next 5 years on a grant, of which we will be returning. 5 yrs @ no cost factor in retirements etc, I know its color by numbers but I think the pic is pretty clear. How can a patrolman, DeMarzo, selectively go around the seniority list for his own interest?. Quite simply you cant, same old story just different characters. Beachluva
"a whole town behind you" are you serious? your behavior and text on here is more than enough to make people just stay away, which is probably a bigger mistake than choosing sides.
The war is over, the team in office won, we all agree on that, as citizens of this city, collectively we must ask when does the healing begin? All I see is more retribution and childish angst coming from the men who are suppossedly taking us in a new direction.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 11:37am - Posted by: wheres the problem

Hey LocalGuy your pretty funny. Lay off more cops and you will have to wait a little longer when you dial 911. Thats funny. If they would stop sitting inside the police department drinking coffee from Dunkin Donuts for an hours, 3 times a night, maybe they would be out there quicker. Or maybe if during election time the Lieutenant and one "rookie" office were not "reviewing" the recall list for days to intimadate the voters, the MAYBE they would be on the street protecting you. Or maybe if the one Lieutenant stopped traveling to his kids sporting events throughout Cape May County, while in uniform and driving a City of Wildwood Police Car, then maybe the officers would be on the street protecting you. Maybe....just maybe....a few layoffs, and demotions will put these officer in a better frame of mind to work FOR the taxpayer, and not just for collecting a check.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 9:47am - Posted by: localguy83

You've got to be out of your mind. Lets lay off 5 Police Officers when the ones on the street now are constantly working short to answer calls. Keep laying off Police Officers in a time when people are burglarizing houses and commit other crimes to survive in this economy and your gonna have to wait a little while for one to show up when you call 9-1-1.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 9:15am - Posted by: tmiller123

Maybe now they can lose the 8% sales tax

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 9:12am - Posted by: tmiller123

WOW 29 public works employees laid off in this small town!!!!! How many are left? What did these people do all day? Aren't you glad the highest property taxes in the country paid for an extra 44 employees in this small blip on the map. Such a corrupt society we live in. no wonder why this country is going bankrupt.

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 6:57am - Posted by: Beach-luva

It is quite apparent why Troiarsenugget was so supportive of the Vietnam wall memorial. Look who is out there errecting it. It is soooo funny to watch the bs in this town....Hey Ernie, you cared sooo much about the vets, are you donating the labor and materials?

How many high-rise contracts were you behind the door planning for your concrete company? Does anyone know who the fireman who got the layoff notice was????
Hahaaha! Chop em all down DeMarzo, you have A WHOLE TOWN BEHIND YOU!!!!!

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 6:23pm - Posted by: SHOREMAN

Some of the police, public works and other city jobs have been no show jobs. There is absolutely no reason to have as many full-time jobs in the city of Wildwood. When the population swells is when we need more part-time police, public works, etc. This is what well-run municipalities do. Not try to milk the taxpayers to give unneeded full-time jobs with medical benefits, etc. to their friends and family members. This is a three month resort town and the majority of employees should be part-time when needed in the seasonal months. The boardwalk, most restaurants, retail stores, delis, pizza shops, cafes and bars close in the off season. Putting an end to the raping of the taxpayers by creating unneeded full-time jobs for friends, family members, etc. is long over due. We had the biggest increase in full-time employees during the Troiano regime. The taxpayers came out in full force to rid themselves of the Troiano regime and can and will no longer tolerate unneeded bloated government. I applaud DeMarzo, Brannen and Harshaw who seem to be working very hard making tough decisions to bring a brighter future to the people, businesses and taxpayers of Wildwood.

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 5:42pm - Posted by: anothergreatidea

Wildwood is Camden. You are an idiot. First off public employess pay in to the pension. For years payments to the pension system were not payed by local towns, this was done to fund other projects that would have lead to tax increases if they had paid for both. Now that the towns have to pay back in to the pensions system they are paying for the current bill and what they owe, esentialy paying double now. The options are to either cut the other projects that they started with the money or cry about how pensions are costing too much and without layoffs they are going to have to raise taxes. Now, had they of just paid all along they wouldn't be in the hole in the first place. Secondly you attack police and fire, they pay over 8% of their pay into the pension system along with social securtiy payments of which they are not eligible to collect. That is on top of all the other regular taxes that eveyone else has taken out of their paychecks. And finaly, you talk about what is wrong with this country and talk about the pope. He doesn't live in America. Take some of the money that you are collecting on unemployment and spend it on the newpaper, educate yourself a little bit and than come back with an idea of what it is you are talking about.

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 5:17pm - Posted by: censor me

Very fitting that 29 Public Works employees are getting the ax......the helped ax Trioano by backing Harshaw.....ironic isn't it!

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 3:10pm - Posted by: Wildwood is Camden with Condos

All you need to do now is salary cap everyone who works in the city @ $50,000, and make them pay for their own pension like everyone else.. THE FREE RIDE IS OVER.. N Wildwood should follow.. these people and their family's have been sucking these city's dry FOR 50 YEARS...... forget the unions.. kick them out and privatize the whole city.. police a, fire and public works.. etc..

The problem with this country,, it is full of GREEDY CON MEN.. from the president to the Pope.. and the catholic church.. and this island is also full of GREEDY CON MEN.. they are the people running these city's !!!!!!!!! .. THE NEW PEOPLE IN OFFICE HAVE THE RIGHT IDEA !! keep it going..

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 10:38am - Posted by: theleft

great.