It looks like Oxford Township Fire Chief Jack LeRoy is here to stay ? for another year.
The Oxford Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously last Wednesday night to accept the employment agreement between the township and LeRoy for 2008.
There was no change to his contract, with the exception of the 3 percent raise all fire personnel, both full-time and paid-on-call, received last month.
LeRoy’s annual salary for 2008 will be $80,855, and he will receive an hourly wage equal to that of a senior paid-on call firefighter for any calls he responds to between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The chief will also receive a vacation allowance of 20 paid vacation days and 12 paid holidays, with the understanding that he must use those days before the end of the calendar year or risk not being compensated.
At the meeting, the board also passed a motion to hire the current First Assistant Chief, Pete Scholz, as full-time deputy fire chief to the department effective Jan. 1, 2008.
‘I’ve been beginning to think about retirement in the near future and I think there should be someone here that knows exactly what’s going on day to day,? LeRoy told the board.
LeRoy said adding the new position would provide the necessary assistance the department needs for ongoing and upcoming projects.
‘It’s a very time-consuming position and will be utilized to the maximum,? he said.
Scholz, who’s been with the Oxford Township Fire Department for 31 years, will perform a wide variety of duties as deputy fire chief, including assisting LeRoy, and performing all of his duties in the chief’s absence.
Scholz will be involved in the planning and budgeting aspect, setting schedules, disciplining employees and coordinating department training, just to name a few.
His salary will begin at $60,000 with $23,867 in medical benefits.