Ashland's police chief received a contract extension months before being placed on leave
ASHLAND — Police Chief Cara Rossi, who has been on paid administrative leave since January, signed a contract extension last September that gave her a $15,500 raise.
The new contract, obtained by the Daily News through a public records request, extended by a year a pact that was originally set to end in 2025, and raised her annual salary by 9.5%, from $162,500 to $178,000. Rossi and Town Manager Michael Herbert signed the contract, which was effective retroactive to July 1, 2023, on Sept. 25.
Herbert told the Daily News on Thursday that he signed Rossi to the extension due to the difficulty of finding quality police chiefs.
Earlier: Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi is on leave, is scheduled for disciplinary hearing
"I will say that finding chiefs in the current environment is difficult, and based on her performance I felt it was necessary to extend her contract for a year with a salary that reflected the average of chiefs in the region in order to maintain continuity within the department, and I still stand by that decision," the town manager said.
Rossi signed her original contract with the town on May 23, 2022, after Herbert hired her to replace Vincent Alfano, who had retired in 2021. The original contract went into effect on July 5, 2022, and was set to expire on July 24, 2025.
Rossi's initial salary was $162,500 for the first year, and she was guaranteed to get 2% raises in each of the next two years. The raise could have increased to 3% if she received an "exceeding expectations" rating in her annual performance review. And if she received an "exemplary" rating in the annual review, that raise could be 4%.
Details of Chief Rossi's revised contract
The revised contract runs through June 30, 2026.
Along with her current $178,000 salary, Rossi's pay is scheduled to rise by 3% in each of the next two years. She would also receive a 2% raise if the department receives state certification and another 2% if the department receives state accreditation.
Rossi has been on paid administrative leave since the end of January. Herbert has not said why.
Rossi has a final hearing with the state's Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission scheduled for March 22. The commission has not provided a reason for the hearing, but it's connected to James Quilty, a former Natick police sergeant convicted in 2022 of sexually assaulting a now former Natick police dispatcher.
Rossi hired in Ashland: Longtime Natick police lieutenant picked to lead force in her hometown
Rossi, who was a Natick police lieutenant at the time of the assault, is named in a Norfolk Superior Court lawsuit filed by the victim. The woman, in her lawsuit, alleges that Rossi aided and abetted Quilty by intimidating her to not file a formal complaint against the sergeant. In response, Rossi has denied the allegation.
The Daily News has requested a copy of the POST Commission file on Rossi. The POST Commission said it's reviewing the request.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland police chief got $15K raise months before being put on leave
