Part Of A Pattern: Farmington Cop’s Pay Went From $92k In 2019 To $141k In 2020
New series shows government employees thriving during pandemic while many private workers suffer
A police detective for the city of Farmington Hills who was also president of the local police union, the Farmington Hills Police Officers Association, saw a large increase in pay in 2020.
In 2019, the detective's gross pay from the city was $92,817; in 2020 he received $141,716. Gross pay includes all forms of payment to the employee, including overtime and raises that come with promotions. Some municipalities allow their employees to “cash out” (get paid for) unused vacation time.
The detective's large increase in pay does not appear to be unusual, based on responses to Freedom of Information Act requests that Michigan Capitol Confidential submitted to the state’s largest municipalities. The pay increases are notable in a year when the state government shut down thousands of private businesses in response to COVID-19, costing hundreds of thousands of private sector employees to lose work and income.
In the coming weeks Michigan Capitol Confidential will be reporting more examples of this pattern.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.