Come on council — do we really need a $200,000+ per year public safety chief in Susanville?

I hate to be a Negative Ned complaining about something at the last minute, but this recruitment effort has been handled completely in the dark behind closed doors without any information released to the public prior to the release of the council’s Oct. 7 meeting agenda.

Why the Susanville Police Officers Association even appeared before the Susanville City Council recently complaining that they also had not been informed as to the search for a public safety chief.

Click here to read the Sept. 3, 2026 LassenNews story, “Susanville Police Officers Association asks for transparency: Seeks information on the public safety chief recruitment effort.”

Did you know, according to an AI overview, as of July 2025, the city of Susanville had a population of 12,817 — down from 16,728 according to the 2020 census and down from 17,947 in 2010. According to AI, “The population has declined due to shifts in the local economy, including the closure of the California Correctional Center.”

Now here’s the rub — as the population of our city declines, and I suspect as the city’s budget tightens as devastatingly as it does for all of us working folks — on Wednesday evening, the city council considers hiring a new public safety chief who will cost the taxpayers more than $200,000 per year to fill a top management position that’s been vacant for a year or so.

Somehow, someway, someone has convinced our city leaders the solution to all our public safety problems is another high-paid administrator with an office upstairs at 66 N. Lassen St.

Now dig this. According to the job description for the public safety chief, updated by former City Manager Dan Newton in August 2025 (the position was originally adopted in December 2023), “Under the administrative direction of the city manager, the public safety chief oversees and directs all activities of the Public Safety Administrative Department, Fire Department, and Police Department hereinafter referred to as “departments” in providing law enforcement, crime prevention, fire suppression, emergency preparedness, emergency medical services and other services related to the protection of life and property in the city of Susanville. The incumbent is accountable for accomplishing departmental planning and operational goals and objectives and for furthering city goals and objectives within general policy guidelines. The public safety chief carries out strategic planning for use of resources in the city and provides varied administrative support and relief program oversight to the city manager and other departments, as assigned; and performs related work as required.”

Crummy creeping bureaucracy, Batman! Now we’ve got a whole Public Safety Administrative Department for this public safety chief to manage — in addition to the police and fire departments?

Here’s some background
Mike Bollinger accepted the public safety chief position in February 2024.

Click here to read the Feb. 15, 2024 LassenNews’ story, “Newton appoints Bollinger as the city’s new Public Safety Chief.

According to a Jan. 15, 2026 LassenNews story, the original salary range for the new public safety chief began at $139,962.

Click here to read the Jan. 15, 2026 LassenNews story, “City seeks Bollinger’s successor as public safety chief.”

Bollinger comments
According to a recent Facebook post by Bollinger, “Oh where do I begin.

“I gave notice of my intention to retire in June 2025. Knowing the process takes time, I purposely did it early with my end date to be in October. More than enough time to have had a new person chosen or at least near the end of the hiring process.

“My reason(s) for retirement were tough. I was offered a substantial pay raise which was to take effect July 1 if accepted. I was not comfortable taking such a raise while the front-line staff including firefighters, new peace officers and other staff members were just above minimum wage.

“Other reasons where other employees within the city had a lot of input on how the PD and Fire utilized their budgets. It’s difficult to get anything done when so many ‘subject matter experts’ are telling you how to run your department and how you can spend $$$.”

As a journalist I know the folks currently leading both the police and fire departments this past year. I find them to be honest and capable of handling their leadership responsibilities.

Bollinger apparently agrees with me — “There are enough local folks who can easily run your fire/police departments. Hiring a person from a larger agency has never worked out.”

Councilmembers, I think it’s time for the city to move away from this notion of needing another tall-dollar public safety figurehead, save the money for more officers and start shopping local for a chief of police and fire chief. Let’s eliminate another administrator and return to the good old days when we had a police chief and a fire chief. It’s been working out fine since Bollinger retired.

I mean, Cor Blimey, whatdaya need — we’ve already got the talent for the jobs on the payroll right now.

Here’s information regarding the public safety chief from the Susanville Municipal Code.