Mayor Blasts Council’s Attacks on Police Security, Especially When Their Own Security is On Pace to Exceed Hers

When the subject of Mayor Kelly Yaede’s security came up at a recent Council Meeting, one issue was the ‘final straw’.

It wasn’t the fact that legal and law enforcement advice – dating back to a June 2018 memo – was ignored, while Council President Jeff Martin allowed a public discussion on the very same issues that were outlined over 9 months ago.

It wasn’t the fact that cost estimates for police security at Township Council Meetings, which Council President Martin and Councilman Tighe themselves requested, after Mayor Yaede called for decorum in Council Chambers, is on pace to exceed the cost of the Mayor’s security from last year.

It was when the attacks turned to the Police serving on the Mayor’s security detail – when a Council Member’s comment were that the Police simply ‘hold [the Mayor’s] bottle of water’ – when Hamilton’s Mayor had enough.  Furthermore, his social media cohorts referring to security as “dogs” is reprehensible.

“Attacking our Police – just so they can attack me – is about as low as they can go; and since Councilman Martin wouldn’t end it at the last Council Meeting, I am going to end it now,” says Mayor Kelly Yaede.

Mayor Yaede is now publicly releasing cost estimates for her security last year, as well as cost estimates for the security the Township Council enjoys at their meetings and the legal memo that was provided to the Township Council last year.

Security for Council on Pace to Exceed Security for Mayor

Based upon a review of six months’ worth of data, the cost of Police security for Mayor Yaede for 2018 appears to be less than $15,000.00.  Of that total, approximately $12,000.00 were salary costs – but it is important to note that because the officers are ‘on duty’, the officers would have received the same compensation during that time, even if not assigned to the Mayor.  In addition, $2,872.50 were travel-related costs for the entire year of 2018.

Thus far in 2019, Police security has been provided at Township Council Meetings at the request of Council President Martin and Councilman Tighe.

By factoring the number of Police Officers, an hourly salary and an ‘average’ of 5 hours of duty (which is a low estimate as some meetings have exceeded 5 hours thus far this year), it is estimated that security at Township Council meetings cost taxpayers approximately $1,200 per meeting in salary costs.  Like the Mayor’s security, the officers serving are ‘on duty’ and would receive the same of compensation during that time, even if not assigned to the Township Council.

In just 3 Council Meetings in where security has already been provided for this year, that equates to $3,600 in cost so far in 2019.  With at least 14 regularly scheduled Council meetings still to come this year, the protection for the Township Council is on pace to cost $20,400.00 in 2019 – more than Mayor Yaede’s security in 2018. 

“Council President Martin and his cohorts enjoy playing up this false narrative about my security, but it is hypocritical when the Police security they asked for, and enjoy, at their own meetings is on pace to exceed the cost for my security,” explains Mayor Kelly Yaede.