HOWELL – Andrew Kudrick believes he has negotiated what will be his final contract to serve as Howell’s chief of police. Kudrick’s new contract with the township will run through July 2024.
Kudrick, 46, was named police chief in June 2015. He was promoted to chief from the rank of captain and succeeded Ronald Carter, who retired. Kudrick holds a master’s degree in public administration and is a certified public manager in New Jersey.
Kudrick said his new contract will allow him to retire from the Howell Police Department without having to renegotiate another agreement and for that he said he is grateful.
“It is comforting to know I will not have to negotiate another contract again in my career and for that I am very thankful to the (township manager) and also to the Township Council for approving this contract,” he said. “It is not a easy process, it is a true negotiation.”
The chief explained that within the pension system, police are maxed out after 30 years. He said his new contract will bring him to just over 30 years of service. Kudrick started his career in 1994.
“It also protects the town from any type of increases they may see trending around the state over the next few years,” he said.
Kudrick’s decision to retire from the police department in 2024, if he chooses to do so, will not be made because of his age.
The mandatory retirement age for a police officer in New Jersey is 65, regardless of rank. The mandatory retirement age is set by the Pension Board of the New Jersey Police and Firemen’s Retirement System.
Kudrick said he and Township Manager Brian Geoghegan negotiated the contract over the course of several months.
“We settled on something we both feel is very fair,” he said. “There are things in the contract I requested and things I did not receive, and I am OK with that. I am not in it to be the highest paid chief. I wanted my contract to represent a fair compensation for my position, which I believe it does.”
Kudrick said everything he does in the police department “has a direct reflection on the community, the Township Council and also my budget. I have been very responsible over the past four years to keep my operating costs low.”
The chief said he has been able to save more than $2 million in overtime costs in the past four years while reducing the police department’s operating costs.
“That is while having significantly fewer officers than I am allowed to have. So it is a challenge,” he said.
Kudrick said his career in law enforcement has gone by fast and that “it is kind of upsetting because as nice as it is to be able to say this is my final contract, it is also scary because this is all I have ever done since I was 19.
“I still love the job every day when I come into work. I still look to make positive changes every day, I still try to be responsible because I definitely owe that to the residents I serve, but it is scary to know it is almost at its end,” he said.
Commenting on the police chief’s new contract, Councilman Thomas Russo said, “It goes without saying that Howell is extremely fortunate to have Chief Kudrick at the helm of our police department.
“As the largest township (in size) in Monmouth County, and the second largest by population, it is crucial to the health, safety and well being of our residents that the Township Council continues to invest in our police department.
“Under Chief Kudrick’s leadership of our police department, our town’s substance abuse admissions have dropped significantly from 2015 to 2019. This impressive statistic comes in the wake of the ongoing and growing heroin epidemic that continues to sweep our state.
“It is important to note that while Chief Kudrick earns a salary commensurate to other chiefs of towns of a similar size and scope to Howell, he continues to go above and beyond for our residents and community, which has a direct and lasting impact on our safety and security,” Russo said.
Kudrick’s new contract will run through July 1, 2024. Howell’s salary ordinance states that the minimum salary for the town’s police chief is $150,000 and the maximum salary is $250,000. Kudrick’s salary is $225,000 for 2019. The salary will increase 2% per year and will be $248,418 for 2024, according to information provided by municipal officials.
