Statements by Andre M. Boggerty
755 statements from meeting recordings, newest meeting first.
Machine transcript. Statements are matched to this official by machine and can be wrong. Check the recording.
Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Mhm, right, that's kind I was I was I was getting to that, but you sped up my process. But I don't like to answer individuals' questions, so that's why I asked the questions: what what resources was relied upon, because the median income that I'm seeing specifically for for that, and, you know, I don't I don't want to call it individuals' like entry-level, because they if they have some experience, but was roughly in the $80,000s. Um, so so uh uh uh and then and then again, which now we open a a can of worms, and and I and I you know me, I don't count other people's money, but if it's owed to them, it's owed to them. If the current network individuals looks like they're they're they're under they're they may be underpaid, because they're making 67, where
Play from 2:16:00Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
whereas that the income seems to be in the 80s. So, could you could you tell me, again, I just want to I don't want to answer other people's, uh especially professionals', questions, cuz my resource and research may differ from theirs.
Play from 2:16:58Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Because um my my my my chief concern, and no not no pun intended, my chief concern is now we have individuals, we have two individuals who are significantly impacted. Again, if you know me, I don't have an issue with individuals making what they earn and making what they earn as it relates to the their uh skill set, um, but I I I must say um to the chief and others as well, and again I value when I see individuals within our city working and if they're I I wave at individuals picking up the leaves, I speak to everybody, but we cannot constantly be under the threat that they're going to leave. I I value, and I pray that that our our city our city employees stay. I I um from the individual who picks up the who who are environmental service individuals all the way up to the highest ranks, I value that I value each of you, and I get it. Trust me, I work nine to five on the clock, but I work probably eight to seven throughout the day in in my role. But we can't If if every If every move we make is going to be under a threat that we're going to leave, then the whole city's going to use that. And, you know what I mean? That that's going to be an ongoing uh um position. And unfortunately, we can't afford to live under that threat. That does not mean I don't value the individuals that hold positions. I'm sorry for bantering. I just want to make sure and make it clear. So so my my position is my position is what's realistic? Um if it were me, I would ask I would ask that there go back and be another consensus to come up with with with with with reasoning and also to base it just more, you know, God bless Newark, God bless Milford, maybe they've got money that we don't have, but to go back and and re-evaluate what's realistic. I wish I can get a 30% raise. I Pay me, right? And I, again, if it was in the scope of career and if it's deserved, so be it. But um I I I'm just not I just consciously can't can't do it this way unless it's more justification. Tell you.
Play from 2:18:10Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I'd like to invite, it's just so everybody can get their piece and patience in, um, Dr. Sudler, I believe...
Play from 2:34:25Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I plea I plea I would yield to I would yield to um to Councilman Lewis since he hasn't had too much to say. Well, he's had a lot to say, but he...
Play from 2:34:34Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And then, I'll come back to me.
Play from 2:34:44Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you. Thank you for yielding, Councilman Sudler. I just have one question um based on um what what with uh with uh Mr. Simmons said and the Chief said, giving the unique niche and the CJIS, the body cams, does that sway probably not 30,000, but does that does that sway the applicant pool at all or or no? Given the the certain
Play from 2:52:57Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
The quals. The certain be- be- and according to from what I understand, that um the they're the network administrator in Dover has the has a has the quals to do body-worn cams, um do CJIS work, and other spe- specific work as it relates to to police work outside
Play from 2:53:23Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
out of the, you know, outside of Mr. Semans's role. So, I just wanted to know, did those little nu- Now, I don't want to call them little. Did those nuances sway or justify any additional movement at all?
Play from 2:53:40Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I got you. All right.
Play from 2:54:12Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And how many are in the department? I think you said you were at two, or is there more than that uh as far as the uh you know, those that are pitching in and doing the work?
Play from 3:05:34Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
All right. Thank Thank you, Chief. Uh I I yield uh Councilman Anderson.
Play from 3:06:22Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
we are, and then have this revisited and brought back to this committee uh for further discussion or consideration. I think that would be a little fair.
Play from 3:13:19Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
So are we in discussion now? Has it been properly moved? Okay.
Play from 3:13:57Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. Thank you.
Play from 3:14:02Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you, com- uh, chair. Has the job been offered and accepted already, and are we just discussing salary?
Play from 3:18:34Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Right. Okay.
Play from 3:18:50Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay, and I- that's what I thought, I just wanted to get it for record. I I wanted I and I dare not speak in for the entire council even in amongst our challenges, we've all said I'll speak for myself cuz I don't want to speak for everybody else, but I don't think it would be a stretch that years ago and um a few years ago that we all championed the internal movement of our staff when possible. I I I I don't think that's a far stretch that we want to reward the loyalty of the employees who stayed with us through some crazy, crazy times, right? Through the times when we had to do salary analysis and adjustments and any other thing. My the issue is not retaining the the employee, the issue is proper- properly compensating the employee within a reason and within the scope that that's kind of realistic. I I don't know and I I just don't know where a 30% increase happens in in in this sector, especially government. Again, I'm not opposed, I me- myself Councilman Boggerty, I'm not opposed to going back and revisit um a salary within range. Again,
Play from 3:18:58Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And we've heard the numbers. And we've heard the numbers of what's kind of realistic. I'm not opposed to making it a realistic, competitive salary within that space. In fact, if you saw me communicating, I have a friend who's a master IT person and the numbers they gave me was private and pub- and private and state depending on and that that it depends if if this individual has a CCNA or Cisco certs, etc. So just to let you know, I was making an inquiry, and I'm not saying they don't- they don't have to answer that now. But- but even within that scope and he's a- I won't say what agency where he works, but he's pretty significant. You know, it is around the 80,000 start range in that's private with Cisco certs, and 65. Again, I'm not- I'm not saying we shouldn't do something.
Play from 3:19:53Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I'm just saying that I would ask that you go back to the- to the employee and um and- and look at the range and see if that satisfied. Who- I don't know who the employee is. I value your work. I have an ideal. But at the same time, we got to- we've heard the numbers, and we cannot that $60,000 plus two, plus new staff, that this thing is a snowball and kind of going uh going away. I yield. I see the HR Director is trying to get your attention, so I'll definitely yield to our resident expert.
Play from 3:21:16Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
40- Uh if I may, according to this document there's a minimum of 70 to 110? Is that what I'm looking at, FY27 salary range, or no?
Play from 3:22:58Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Look at the issues first paragraph, Dr. Sudler. It says issues first paragraph. Right the last sentence.
Play from 3:23:10Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Chair?
Play from 3:25:21Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Can I ask a question? Is that two employees at that rate? So you're talking about $200,000 plus?
Play from 3:25:23Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
We need them quarterly budget reviews.
Play from 3:25:32Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I'll yield.
Play from 3:33:15Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I will yield to Lewis and then you can come back to me.
Play from 3:33:20Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Chair, is it okay if I go now?
Play from 3:34:09Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay, thank you, Chairman Anderson.
Play from 3:34:12Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you. Um just for clarity on my motion, I do believe my motion was um to have the chief um sort of work with HR to try and repost it and and and and and get some more candidates. Um my my uh motion was not to say that HR would take over it or supersede any of the rights of or charter rights, but just more or less as a help, a guide or a tool used, cuz I do I am aware of the charter and I'm aware of, you know, the jurisdictional um restrictions. So, just for clarity, it was it was an offer to say, hey, but truth be told, I believe that our HR department should be um the focal point of any hiring process for the entire city of Dover, because I don't believe that, I mean, if you're dealing with um regardless if you're going to get sued or you're dealing with a workplace issue, it's still going to come back to HR in some form or fashion, and they're the experts. So I don't know if the I notice there's a jurisdictional uh uh distinction, but I don't know does does the police department have their own HR department?
Play from 3:34:14Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And since they don't have their own HR, who's the expert then when it comes to hiring and firing and making sure that all the i's are dotted and all the t's are crossed when it comes to workplace um conditions and workplace um grievances? Who who is the focal point? So in my view, um there seems when we're talking about Team Dover, we're talking about working in unison, I think that we need to demonstrate that, rather than say Team Dover, we need to be Team Dover, and I think part of being Team Dover is we have experts here, we don't want to get jammed up. So I believe that--
Play from 3:35:37Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
that it's within the scope of what we need to to do, but I'm not here to say what's what's right, what's wrong. I'm just speaking on on on my behalf and my opinion. So the motion was just to basically have our HR to work with the chief um and and and repost it. But, you know, they could I don't That's that's the motion.
Play from 3:36:16Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Point of order, um Point of order, Councilman Anderson.
Play from 3:38:51Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Point of order, Councilman Anderson. The The public is speaking. I think it's this is their time to speak.
Play from 3:38:56Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And if you if you can excuse me, if you can instruct them, if you don't want Ms. Poole to to speak to the matter, just say, "Ms. Poole, please do not answer or refrain," but I don't think getting into a a a
Play from 3:39:02Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
debate or I mean, we've did before. It's their time to speak, so.
Play from 3:39:11Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
All right. Uh, all You've heard the information. All in favor of the motion...
Play from 3:49:44Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Hold on, uh, Dr. Sudler.
Play from 3:49:51Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Well, because it's on the floor.
Play from 3:49:59Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Because because if you withdraw it, that'd be fine. Otherwise, we have to vote it down to clear it.
Play from 3:50:40