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Dane County Board OKs 911 director’s expenses

Dejung to receive relocation money, comfortable salary

The salary and relocation expenses of incoming Dane County 911 director John Dejung were unanimously approved by the Dane County Board of Supervisors Personnel and Finance Committee Monday night.a

According to President of the Wisconsin Counties Association Dennis O’Loughlin, when Dejung takes his post as 911 director, he will receive a salary of $120,000 on top of $22,000 in relocation expenses.

“My concern and generally what we do say is … we’ll give you enough (money) to move you, you can make two trips [home], bring your family, we’ll pay for your meals, we’ll pay for your transportation. Make sure you have your documented receipts, and we’ll reimburse you for all of that. That’s the normal relocation policy that’s used,” O’Loughlin said.

However, because Dejung has a son that is going into his senior year in high school, O’Loughlin said Dejung will have two residences and need to travel back and forth between the two locations.

Topf Wells, chief of staff to Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, said these types of expenses have been offered to county employees in the past, and Dejung is only receiving a slightly higher amount of money because of his dual residency.

Dejung will also be given a comfortable salary, according to O’Loughlin.

“It’s well within the ballpark of what qualified 911 directors should receive as compensation because there are institutions that give you ranges of what 911 directors should make based on population,” O’Loughlin said.

Dejung’s salary will be higher than that of former 911 Director Joe Norwick’s and Interim 911 Director Kathy Krusiec’s due to his experience and knowledge concerning the operation of 911 centers.

Wells added Dejung was in the Coast Guard, has exceptional command experience and also implemented state-of-the art technology, including interoperable technology, as the director of his 911 Center in St. Paul, Minn.

“In terms of disaster that demonstrates the usefulness of interoperability, it was the collapse of the Mississippi River Bridge in the St. Paul area, and his 911 Center was the one in handling that situation using that interoperable technology,” Wells said.