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That $25G donation had 'nothing to do' with fire promotions

Friday, January 18, 2008

Earl Morgan , Jersey Journal

R umors began circulating early in December that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy's administration was planning to promote a bunch of firefighters to the rank of captain. Just before Christmas, the grapevine began buzzing about a bash that was thrown to celebrate promotions in the Fire Department, promotions that had not yet been announced.

Then, late Wednesday, The Jersey Journal received a call from Jersey City Fire Director Armando Roman announcing a ceremony today to promote 26 firefighters to the rank of captain. The event will be held in the Margaret Williams Auditorium at New Jersey City University at 11 a.m.

Roman confirmed he organized and hosted the pre-holiday affair, dubbed "Firefighters and Friends of Jerramiah Healy," with tickets priced at $150 and $500. He also acknowledged presenting Healy with a $25,000 campaign donation during the affair, but emphatically denied that the fund-raiser had anything to do with the promotions.

"I would never do that," Roman said when asked about the juxtaposition of the fund-raiser and the promotions.

"Believe me, if it was about promotions the ticket prices would have been much higher. The mayor is planning to hold a fund-raiser in February. If the donation was tied to the promotions, (February) would have been a better time to do it."

Currently there are 600 firefighters in the Jersey City Fire Department. Of that number, 130 are captains, another 28 are battalion chiefs and 11 hold the rank of deputy chief. So, including Roman and Chief William Sinnott, 171 of the 600 members of the department are ranking officers. That's 28.5 percent.

As far as what these promotions will cost taxpayers - well, firefighters start with a base salary of $41,000 a year and, under the current labor contract, receive annual increases for seven years, topping out at $83,666 a year. A new captain begins with an annual salary of $98,474 a year and receives increases to a maximum of $110,000 a year. These are base figures and don't include longevity increases or overtime pay.

Jersey City officials are struggling, as we speak, to hold down municipal spending in an effort to forestall a property tax increase. Promoting 26 firefighters to captains seems to be a strange way to accomplish that goal.

On the other hand, as Jennifer Morrill, a spokeswoman for Healy, said in a statement issued from the Mayor's Office: "The decision to promote the new captains was triggered by the need to curtail overtime, fill vacancies in the rank resulting from retirements and staff the newly created high-rise unit. Our firefighters deserve the full protection we can give them."

There is no argument that Jersey City's Bravest should have the manpower and equipment needed to do their job. Like Roman, Morrill declared the promotions had nothing to do with the $25,000 donation. But Morrill did add that the mayor was concerned about the public perception of the timing of the two events.

Of course, to allay any suspicion or cynical reaction, the mayor could have declined to take the money.




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