Fire chief pensions bulking up Lynn budget

LYNN – Over the past 23 years, Lynn has had seven permanent or provisional fire chiefs, resulting in a current annual municipal budget pension expense of $320,855.That amount is soon expected to increase to more than $400,000 with the pending retirement of former acting Fire Chief James Carritte, who earlier this month submitted his papers to the municipal Retirement Board.Of the seven permanent or provisional chiefs, only four are collecting a pension. Former Fire Chief Joseph Scanlon Jr. is deceased, as is his wife, Mary, who would have been eligible to collect his pension.Carritte, who announced his intention to retire in a letter to Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, will not be formally retired until the five-member municipal Retirement Board votes to accept it at its Feb. 23 meeting.As acting chief in 2009, Carritte earned a salary of $145,500. Carritte’s estimated annual pension will be $91,500, according to Gary Brenner, executive director of the Retirement Board.Acting Fire Chief Dennis Carmody was appointed by the mayor Feb. 1 to fill Carritte’s post. As district chief in 2009, Carmody earned a salary of $123,957. That amount will be adjusted upward to reflect his position as acting chief.City Personnel Director Joseph Driscoll said many career firefighters strive for higher rank within the department as they near retirement in order to boost their pension. Under the Civil Service system, pensions are determined by years of service and averaging the retiree’s top three earning years.Brenner said recent changes in state law have impacted the way pensions are formulated. “You can’t just work a couple of days within a calendar year and get credit for that entire year,” he said.Edward Chase was Lynn’s first permanent fire chief, serving from 1912-31. Scanlon served for four decades, from 1947 to 1987. He was chief for 15 years and commanding officer during the Second Great Lynn Fire in 1981.