Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Michigan, 2008-2011
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The Oakland County Sheriff's Officeis in Oakland County, Michigan.
Salaries
Sunshine Review filed a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request seeking salary information on ranking officers in the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for 2008 to 2011.
| Position | 2008 salaries | 2009 salaries | 2010 salaries | 2011 salaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff | $137,622 | $138,999 | $138,999 | $138,999 |
| Undersheriff | $114,652 | $115,799 | $112,904 | $111,210 |
| Captain | $82,030 | $85,834 | $85,834 | $85,834 |
| Captain | $84,768 | $88,697 | $88,697 | $88,697 |
| Captain | $87,511 | $91,568 | $91,568 | $91,568 |
Although the Sheriff's Office website indicates there are key personnel with a ranking higher than a captain, the office did not include that salary information.
Benefits
Sunshine Review filed a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request seeking benefits information on ranking officers in the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for 2008 to 2011.
| Position | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff | $77,894 | $78,256 | $79,924 | $88,681 |
| Undersheriff | $64,893 | $65,194 | $64,920 | $70,952 |
| Captain | $66,429 | $48,325 | $48,325 | $48,325 |
| Captain | $47,979 | $49,936 | $49,936 | $49,936 |
| Captain | $49,531 | $51,553 | $51,553 | $51,553 |
According to the Oakland County website, county employees receive a benefits package that includes medical, short-term and long-term disability, dental, vision, life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Employees are enrolled in a defined contribution plan (401A) with a matched county contribution; there is also a comprehensive retirement package in which all employees are eligible to participate in a deferred compensation plan.[2]
Car use
Sunshine Review filed a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request seeking information on the number of department-issued vehicles in the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for 2008 to 2011. The request also sought information on the number of vehicles allowed to be taken home by personnel.
According to information provided by the county, there were 101 vehicles taken to and from work in 2008. For the years 2009 to 2011, the number of vehicles was 98. The vehicles were both marked and unmarked.[3] The vehicles were not allowed to be used for personal reasons, the county said.
Phone use
Sunshine Review filed a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request seeking information on the number of cellular and mobile devices issued to employees of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for 2008 to 2011. According to information provided by the county, there were 112 cell phones issued for use by Sheriffs Office employees in 2011. In a response to Sunshine Review, the department claimed that to put together information on how many cell phones were issued during the time frame requested would cost over $300.[3]
County employees who are issued a wireless device must sign an agreement.[4]
Salary records project
In 2011, Sunshine Review chose 152 local governments as the focus of research on public employee salaries. The editors of Sunshine Review selected eight states with relevant political contexts (listed alphabetically):
1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
Within these states, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The purpose of this selection method was to develop articles on governments affecting the most citizens.
The salary information garnered from these states were a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments.
A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said the city of Philadelphia faced challenges owing to the cost of public employee pensions.[5] The report claimed the amount that Philadelphia paid to pension recipients limited the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.
The report said there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701.[5] The authors recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions: improved data collection, expanded transparency initiatives, and reductions to the city's overall budget.[5]
Salary schedules can be published as ranges, not as specific compensation figures, and may leave out compensation received through health and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as commuter allowances and cell phone reimbursements. This project aimed to close the gap and provide a more accurate picture of public employee salaries for the sake of public education and transparency.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Salaries and Benefits (dead link)
- ↑ Oakland County, Employee benefits
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Oakland County, Sunshine Review FOIA Request, May 23, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Oakland County, Oakland Wireless Agreement (dead link)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
