To Save City Money, Police Chief Offers To Resign | WBNS-10TV, ...

Marysville wrote:

Hopefully this will land well in this news topic :
1)If he voluntarily resigns he does not get anything but what his government council agrees to.
2)$400,000 for 5 years as a Police Chief in any capacity large or small is not that much money folks. It breaks down to far less than $80k per year after taxes (we all pay them).
3)A Police Chief is responsible for an enormity of things. Including the actions and non actions of his department and employees. He must be paid accordingly to accept those high risks. Paying him $15.00 / hr to satisfy some of your comments or whatever some of you are referring to is an insult to him as a public servant. I'm certain he's had many years of commitment.
4)Landing a Police Chief job was a huge goal in his life. He worked hard. And stayed the course wherever he was an officer. For him to offer to give up such a commitment and lifestyle and now that he has (made it) in his mind as any of us strive to do better, he is offering to give up one of his life's dreams (likely) to step down for the betterment of his community funding. That says HUGE HUGE HUGE volumes for the integrity of this officer.
5)My personal opinion is if there was no wrong-doing at all and his offer to resign is voluntary, and it does not financially impact his community right now, he could take a less than generous severance package to make ends meet and then a little extra so that he can make do if it goes longer. Then call him back to represent his fine community. Likely far more appreciated and having the appreciation of his community.
I know family and friends of victims, city council, and sometimes the person these articles are about read these posts. I try and relay my best wishes. There is no reason to throw darts into this story at this point. I appears that it may be a genuine offer from the Police Chief (no ill will done) and he should be thanked instead of snide comments or looking at others to step down. He has offered. Others have not. It doesn't make others less of a human. We do not know what financial hardships any of our government persons are under. Police and Fire Chiefs included. Maybe he is not in a great place financially either. But that would only make me appreciate his fine gesture to his community.
I am always open to others comments and have learned allot from some of you. Thus the above are my opinions. However, opinions aside, please know that there are good deeds every day. We unfortunately do not see them stated on the news like this. I commend 10tv.com for carrying this story. I will certainly follow this story. I will further take the time to comment privately to Pataskala Council by USPS. I might encourage some of you to appreciate such gestures if there is no hidden agenda or it is a repercussion from an action or inaction.
As of the date / time of my post,... I want to genuinely extend a salute to Chief Chris Forshey. And I hope that Pataskala Council would want such a shining example in such an honored position. And invite him back. As council, ignore your petty past arguments. Council has them all the time. It's the bigger picture for what is best of your community. This officer will only shine if you allow him. Please ask him back. If he doesn't get another job offer. No matter what. Thank you, sir.
Most Respectfully,
Marysville

I bet his wife wrote this.

Usa wrote:

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Ooops poor spelling on my last post!

Actually, you have poor spelling on all of your posts.

save it all and just say your fired..end of the story..

His offer to resign is a pure political move on his part. It's actually a pretty good one too. He knows this is the best thing for his future. Also, we the public, will never know the details of his resignation and/or severance package. He's pretty smart to make his offer public, especially if he ever plans to run for any elected position in the future. I'm not sure how much money it would actually save the city, but I bet it isn't nearly as much as what it will look like to the public. There is a lot of bureaucracy involved here. There are many ways to cut costs, and in my opinion, getting rid of the top cop is not the right way to do it. A city of this size needs a police chief. If the city watches it's nickels and dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves.

out of towner wrote:

Since it is a money issue, where is the $3,500,000 that was found in the wall of drug dealers house?
He has been sentenced to prison, yet there is no mention of the money that was found in his house, or any of the other monies that were found because of snitches. Stop blowing smoke what happened to all of that money?

Wow. Hellooo! That big drug bust happened in the Licking County Sheriff's jurisdiction. Moron.

$400,000 over the next five years for being police cheif? That sounds correct to me. What do people want in Pataskala? Has anyone else ever drove through that city after it has iced over or snowed--they pay no taxes there, as it is. Now they don't want to pay for their police force either? The roads are junky, the whole city looks a mess. Time for the residence to start paying taxes!

the issue is not the police chief. it is the tax itself. if we need to pass a levy for the police, then make it a police levy, not a general income tax. the politicians in power cannot be trusted to do anything but give themselves and their buds pay increases...a police levy will stop that idea in its tracks.

doc

BethOhio wrote:

I don't think if he voluntarily resigns, he gets the $400,000.

the 400-thousand is what the city would have to pay him for the remainder of his contract salary/benefits. if he resigns the city keeps the money and uses it to keep the police officers on the streets by paying their salaries etc.

Usa wrote:

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No doubt your the smartest person to post anything on this blog in years!

Damn, and I keep thinking I'm brilliant!

kevo10 wrote:

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the 400-thousand is what the city would have to pay him for the remainder of his contract salary/benefits. if he resigns the city keeps the money and uses it to keep the police officers on the streets by paying their salaries etc.

Truth is, it just won't go that far. They will be in this same place 3-6 months from now and the police chief is out his salary. It's a bigger problem than one person.

His resignation may make a difference to some; however for others I would imagine they simply don't want the income tax that council thinks is the only way to fund this city.
Support the police through a property tax and get the support for the geographical area they protect. If you live well, you pay well. If you live moderately you pay moderately. If you own a lot of land in this growing community then pay your current share before you sell out to a developer and take it to the bank.
And if you are foolish enough to think that renters don't pay property tax then realize that people who own the rental properties do pay the tax. You can be certain that they pass the cost along.
Supporting the police through an income tax doesn't ensure that police department gets the needed money. Supporting the police department through a property tax ensures that eventually the tax levied will be paid. If you don't pay the property tax then you will eventually be evicted and hopefully the community will get someone who will. There are no free rides.
Pay attention to past elections to see how well this community supports its fire department's request for support. Property taxes appear to support the fire department well, how is a police department any different?

The chief is asking to step down because the citizens do not feel safe with him running our police department. That 100 million drug bust happened here. The drug dealer lived a few doors down from me. He according to the dispatch had my house burnt down as part of someone joining his group. That happened in Jan 07, I met with the chief, the mayor and a lot of other police officers and told them we had a drug dealer living on our street, that was April 07. I also had put cameras on my house. I seen the drug dealers kids getting that baby high, I was told they would say it was a cigarette they were passing around. After that meeting nothing happened. So as I worked with other police departments things went to happening. Pataskala even called and ask me to turn on my cameras when they were coming to make the arrest for getting the baby high. I want a police department. But I want one that listens to the citizens. Pataskala got no money from that drug bust. But lets think, if they would've checked into what I was telling them they could've worked with the DEA and others agencies and maybe have gotten some of that money. But the chief didn't do that. Citizens know what's going on in their neighborhood and are willing to tell, but if no one is listening then they say forget it. I refuse to say forget. You just have to keep talking until you get to someone that will listen. I recently helped a neighbor who's 15 year old son had had sex with a neighbor woman. I called Deputy Brooks and he worked to take care of it and yes she was charged a few months later. But it mades us wonder if that had been a girl and a neighbor man would it have taken so long to get a man charged? As citizens we have a job to do and we need to watch out for our neighbors and our communities. But if we don't tell then nothing will change. A Deputy Sheriff recently ask me if I feared for my safety? Of course I do, I went and bought 2 guns after the fire. I called the police and told them you said you could not protect me and my family or property so here's what I have. I know it scared them that I had guns, it scares me I haven't shot a gun in over 33 years. But as the deputy Sheriff said we need more citizens that speak up and tell what's going on. And for the person that says I didn't speak up until they arrested and jailed the drug dealer you're wrong hell I told Donnie Dailey in the middle of the street in front of his house, you had my house burnt down and now I'm going to burn you. Telling everything I knew was the way of keeping me safe because if everyone knew what was going on then if something happened to me at least they know where to start looking. We're a small town of about 15-18,000 people and had a 100 million dollar drug ring here and the police knew nothing? I think we all have more common sense than to believe that.So Marysville you come live in our town and have these things happen to you and you won't be so supportive of the cheif any longer. By the way I was told his buyout is $57,000. I would've paid him that to have stopped the hell I had to go through, but since he choose not to listen I don't think we should pay him anything. He was ran out of the last county he was in and he needs to go away again. I believe that county was Washington County Ohio. I'll double check that. By the way they don't want to pay Deputy Chief Brooks more money to become the chief which I think is awful. If he takes that job he should be paid accordingly. I will be fighting for him to get paid accordingly.