What about Killion and his taking overtime money when he was a Police Captain over and above his salary in violation of labor laws. Why aren’t you upset about that?

I am voting for the two of them (plus Shinook) and I just don’t see where your comments come from about Arognson. Killion and he are different people but I don’t see any reason not to vote for them both.

I’ve heard the medical thing and heard that has been a perk around for quite some while. What are the facts?

I have also heard Paul is cozying up to the Hospital — again, what are the facts?

@ Terri I think the problem as we all see it is that Ridgewood is a community not a political playground. Mr. Aronsohn rolled into town 6 years ago and brought party politics with him. When can you remember in recent years lawn signs for elections. Maybe a handful here and there but not hundreds. And when did candidates start accepting so much money? 2006 was the first time a candidate went over $10,000 and guess who it was? Yes, Mr. Aronsohn. If everyone just stuck to the issues – none of this back and forth would be going on in our campaigns.

Taken from the website http://www.flsa.com/coverage.html

Salary level test.

Employees who are paid less than $23,600 per year ($455 per week) are nonexempt. (Employees who earn more than $100,000 per year are almost certainly exempt.) I believe Officer Killion was paid over $100,000.00 per year

Exempt or Nonexempt.

Employees whose jobs are governed by the FLSA are either “exempt” or “nonexempt.” Nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay. Exempt employees are not.

If Killion as an exempt employee did in fact receive pay above and beyond his basic salary then that pay could, depending on the reason, have been in violation of the Fair Labor and Standards Act. (FLSA)

Anonymous:

I read somewhere “Once sworn into office in summer of 2012, no council member is eligible to receive health benefits through the village. Aronsohn said he supports the change in the law and has made arrangements to receive private health care coverage.”

http://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/aronsohn-common-sense-energy-and-a-dedication-to-public-service

#9- thx for finding that. It does seem a tricky area though from reading the stuff there. Was his base pay actually $100K or was that WITH overtime?

There is more info at another section of the site you linked, here:
http://www.flsa.com/police.html

Per that info, it states: (begin quote)
Detectives and Investigators. Most police detectives and investigators are “nonexempt” and therefore eligible for overtime under the FLSA. Detectives and Investigators may perform “off-the-clock” work including job-related telephone calls at home (e.g., with informants, prosecutors or other officers), police paperwork at home, going to meetings, work performed before and after regular shifts (e.g., “roll calls,” or finishing up reports without “putting in” for overtime), working through meal periods.

Command Officers. Command Officers. Many police command officers (typically lieutenants and above, and maybe some sergeants) will likely be exempt employees, and not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA. Occasionally some police command officers may be mistakenly classified as overtime exempt. To be exempt, police command officers must meet the “salary tests” and “duties tests” requirements (see, “Coverage under the FLSA”). END QUOTE
———————————–
I believe a lot of Keith’s police service was as a detective, though not sure. Later he was designated a special school officer under a grant the Village received., I remember being at a VC public meeting when the grant was announced and he appeared to give a talk about what his goals were to be in that position. But he also served as a Captain of the Police Dept.

So sure, he – or whoever at VH made the FLSA determination of exempt versus nonexempt should clear this up and disclose any relevant info.

I am always in favor of transparency in government and feel we have the right to know how and where all the big tax dollars we pay here are being spent.

I hope Aronsohn will also disclose the stuff about benefits for him and/or his whole family if Village has paid for them — and if no, just say so.

For #11 Thank you very much for that. Finally this one seems resolved, though the date on it is just yesterday, but glad to see the statement on it. He does not state whether just he or his family received these benefits, nor what they cost, but at least states he has received them at taxpayer expense but that he no longer does. So at least in my view, at long last, that can be put to rest- it’s being going around and unanswered for way too long.

As to lawn signs, no big deal at least to me, either way. Have ‘em or don’t have ‘em and anyone who doesn’t want ‘em doesn’t have to take them.

For #’s 9 &14 – I think you’ve raised a very good question on this too after reading your links and also the one I posted above. It should be answered– perhaps can be done best by whoever authorized any such overtime in the 1st place? Maybe the CFO can enlighten us? And maybe Keith can as to whether he did receive any overtime as a police captain and by virtue of what services if so?

Your link above goes on to say (it’s a DOL ruling in one specific case apparently)
(begin quote)
Meeting the requirements of § 541.100(a)(2) depends on the employees’ “primary duty” in their management position. Primary duty is defined in § 541.700(a) as “principal, main, major, or most important duty that the employee performs.” Factors to consider in determining an employee’s primary duty include “the relative importance of the exempt duties as compared with other types of duties; the amount of time spent performing exempt work; the employee’s relative freedom from direct supervision; and the relationship between the employee’s salary and the wages paid to other employees for the kind of nonexempt work performed by the employee.” 29 C.F.R. §541.700(a). It is important to remember that the primary duty determination is based on all of the facts and circumstances in each individual case with major emphasis on the character of the employee’s job as a whole. Further, although the amount of time spent on exempt work can act as a guide, time is not conclusive. However, employees who spend more than 50 percent of their time performing exempt work will generally satisfy the primary duty requirement. 29 CFR § 541.700(b).

(end quote)
It also states that titles mean nothing for this purpose (in several places) and what counts in such determinations are provable real factors which it seems to set out in detail.

Thus it seems possible that someone holding such a position could be eligible for overtime pay in some circumstances. Perhaps there is a contract too which governs that and thus would apply to anyone holding a certain rank or position.

Either way, you’re right it should be clarified and taxpayers do have a right to know. So I think Keith should perhaps answer one part (whether indeed he did receive overtime) and a person authorized to grant it employed by the Village should state on exactly what basis it was justified under the laws if any such payments were made. Just like anything with public money, we should have the right to know and get a clear answer.

for #16 – me too. The past is the past, Aronsohn got taxpayer paid benefits and maybe Keith got some overtime during his 30 year police career, not terribly surprising if so. All the writing just shows you can quote anything out of context to try and prove a point.

Move forward, and vote for those you feel will serve Ridgewood best and have the Village’s interest as their only agenda. That’s what’s impt to me at least.

for #18– I’m for full disclosure and transparency in the spending of any public money. Pretty doubtful though it would have been Keith who had the responsibility – much less the authority – to pay himself any overtime during his police service.

Clearly the CFO or someone else at VH in charge of payroll or finance would have determined and also authorized anything like that. I doubt very much that any police officer or other Village worker can just draw any kind of payment anytime they want to.

So if you feel it needs to be investigated, do that and let others know the results. Apparently regarding Forenza and Paterson, that’s already being investigated pretty big time by a few entities. Not only (apparently) did people put in for such payments, but others approved and authorized them – without which such payments could not have been made.

But for this, do the legwork since it bothers you– file the OPRA requests if you need them to get data, and post the results and share for all to see.

If we indeed have (or ever had) a system that allows any Village workers to simply “put in” for any kind of payments and get them without anyone else’s approval, that sure WOULD be something that needs to be investigated!

It would also mean whatever independent auditor who approved Village’s internal controls for spending public money should be dismissed – and/or possible other consequences.