Communities scramble to fund stipends
In 1970, after the state introduced the Quinn Bill - which calls for police officers to receive stipends each year if they earn a college degree - state and local officials hailed it as an incentive to create better-educated officers.
Until last month, the state and local communities split the cost of the annual stipends, which provided an extra 10 percent of salaries for an associate’s degree, 20 percent for a bachelor’s, and 25 percent for a master’s. But with the recent economic downturn pummeling the state and communities, Governor Deval Patrick cut state funding for the program 80 percent, placing the onus on local municipalities to find funding to pay a larger share of the bonuses. Also, the state eliminated the program for any officers hired after June 30.
“It leaves cities in a miserable position,’’ said Revere Mayor Thomas Ambrosino, who, like many mayors and town managers north of Boston, was critical of the funding cut on Beacon Hill. The cut took effect July 1.
Ambrosino says the state is forcing cities and towns to pay almost the entire cost of a state-mandated program. “I just want to see the state pay for what the state is supposed to statutorily pay for,’’ he said.
In Lynn, where the city cut more than 140 positions in schools and in City Hall in recent months, Mayor Edward “Chip’’ Clancy also called the new formula unfair. The city will now have to pay about $1 million a year for the police program, or almost $500,000 more than last year. “If you’re going to continue to have the benefit, then pay for it,’’ said Clancy.
Cyndi Roy, spokeswoman for the governor, said the state was forced to cut funding for the Quinn Bill to help close a gaping budget deficit. “Drastically declining revenues have caused both the administration and Legislature to take a different approach to reimbursing communities for this program,’’ she said. “It’s one of a series of reductions that we had to make in order to close the gap that we were facing.’’
Several cities, including Revere, are seeking concessions from police. Without any changes, Revere could pay as much as $640,000 for the Quinn Bill this year; in Salem, it could cost the city more than $500,000. Last week, the Salem City Council appropriated an additional $125,000 toward the educational program, but the city still needs to find another $145,000 to pay the bonuses.
Salem Lieutenant Conrad Prosniewski, vice president of the superior officers’ union, is sympathetic to Salem officials who are scrambling to find the funding for the program but said it was a necessary line item.
“When the state made it into law, the reason behind it was that we would have educated, professional police officers acting in a professional and educated manner out on the street. We have been at the top of our game for a bunch of years. We have a good bunch of smart guys who earn every penny they make,’’ said Prosniewski.
Some communities such as Malden and Medford are not required to pick up the majority of funding that the state paid last year because the Quinn provision is not included in police union contracts.
In Medford, that means that officers such as Lieutenant Paul Covino, a 23-year veteran of the Police Department, will lose almost half of the $18,083 in Quinn Bill benefits he earned last year.
“We took a cut in pay, so we’re not happy about it,’’ said Covino. “The Quinn Bill is one of the driving forces that has turned the police industry around in the last 20 years. I’ve seen firsthand how people change their work performance. People become more open minded, understand other people’s views and make better decisions when they are out there. There’s a good chance you might get some [officers] that might retire sooner than they would have. Those are people we need.’’
In Danvers, the police union contract calls for the town to pick up the remainder of the Quinn Bill funding, amounting to about $450,000 over the next year. “We’re over $200,000 short,’’ said Town Manager Wayne Marquis.
Marquis said keeping the same funding formula while grandfathering existing Quinn Bill recipients would have served as better fiscal protection for communities.
“We’ll get through it, but it’s certainly a challenging time to be in local government and this is just one more challenge we’re being faced with,’’ said Marquis.
Globe correspondent Brian Benson contributed to this story. 
