By Adam Swift
Responding to an inquiry from District 6 City Councilor Giovanni Recupero about pay for active duty military who work for the city, City Manager Fidel Maltez informed the city council that Chelsea does pay for any gap in pay while those employees are on active duty.
“We want to reiterate our commitment to support our veterans and their families,” said Maltez. “We are grateful for their service, but we know that gratitude itself is not enough. Every day in Chelsea, we are working to show veterans that we have their backs.”
Maltez said that honoring the service of veterans requires policies and resources that make it possible for them to thrive in the home that they defend.
“Our Human Resources Department has confirmed that Chelsea pays any gap in pay while members are on active duty,” said Maltez. “Employees should direct any questions to their supervisor, our Human Resources Department, or myself.”
Recupero thanked Maltez for the information and that the city covers any potential pay gap while employees are on active duty.
“It speaks volumes for our city that we do care, that all of us care and this is going to happen and I am happy that this is going to happen,” said Recupero.
Councilor-at-Large Kelly Garcia thanked Recupero for making sure it was an issue that did not fall through the cracks.
“I, as a proud daughter of a veteran and the sister of an active military person … my brother came back from deployment about a year ago and he shared with me the difficulties in having to cover the gaps when he came back,” said Garcia. “I gave a call to Councilor Recupero and (asked) how we can fix this, and he said, I’ve got this. Thank you for always standing up for our veterans and thinking outside the box and really bringing it to the floor where it really matters and change can happen.”