West Orange Reviews Nearly $800K Retirement Payment for Longtime Police Chief as Oversight Questions Surface

Township and state officials are questioning New Jersey’s public employee leave policies and financial control over veteran West Orange Police Chief James Abbott’s nearly $800,000 retirement payout.

Abbott, who joined the West Orange Police Department at 19 in July 1980, resigned on December 1, 2025, after 45 years. In 1997, he became police chief after decades of service. One of the township’s longest police tenure ended with his retirement. Instead of ending quietly, his departure has prompted debate over his advantages.

Township records show Abbott is owed $787,017.03. The amount covers unused vacation, sick leave, overtime, seniority time, and other leave accrued over decades. New Jersey city police chiefs have received some of the biggest retirement benefits in recent years, according to local officials.

After two months of retirement, the payment has not been made. Township authorities said the amount is being verified. The town recruited outside labor counsel to evaluate decades of employment data and compute the right total before distributing funding. The review is needed to assure accuracy and safeguard taxpayers from financial risk, say local leaders.

Township authorities have been informed that the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, which oversees government accountability, is investigating the payment. Township officials want the review finished before making any payments, according to internal communications. The comptroller’s office has rejected comment. One township official warned that delivering the money before the review could cause legal or financial issues if revisions are needed.

Abbott’s attorney informed him that he has not received any payment. The attorney said town authorities are trying to verify 20- to 30-year leave balances. Older records may be lost, complicating verification. Abbott’s legal team expects the township to conduct its inquiry in good faith and has no intentions to suit despite the delay.

Township spreadsheets show more than 4,830 hours of useless accumulated time used to calculate payouts. Unused vacation, sick leave, and “Garcia time,” which refers to police shift scheduling, all listed in the paper. About half of the dividend, $391,000, is for “Limited Time Due.” Abbott’s latest job contract and township ordinances don’t define that phrase. Local authorities claim much of that amount may be vacation time from numerous years, including leave reportedly not taken during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The award was mostly based on Abbott’s final hourly rate of $162.40, based on his $332,980 retirement salary. He was among the state’s highest-paid police chiefs, according to public data. Larger towns like Newark and Jersey City paid police chiefs far less in 2025.

Abbott will earn $21,128.64 each month from New Jersey’s state pension system in addition to the lump-sum award. That pension is independent from the accumulated leave payout and regulated under state retirement criteria.

Township authorities are concerned about the payout size and paperwork. West Orange, a 49,000-person Essex County township, owes about $170 million. An estimated $1 million payoff should be explained to taxpayers, according to one council member. Since August, she has requested supporting estimates and paperwork, saying transparency is necessary before public funds be distributed.

The problem also affects a statewide debate over hefty public employee retirement payouts. Critics say large lump-sum sick leave payouts strain municipal finances. In 2020, the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation recommended that taxpayers not pay for excessive retirement bonuses or leave payments. Supporters say such bonuses are deferred compensation from union contracts and reflect years of arduous public safety duty.

New Jersey has tried to limit rewards. State employees can receive $15,000 in sick leave, and in 2010, then-Governor Chris Christie extended the threshold to newly hired public employees, including police officers. These revisions did not apply retrospectively to all workers, so individuals recruited before specific changes may still qualify for bigger aggregate rewards. The Office of the State Comptroller detected limit violations in multiple jurisdictions in 2022.

Experts say amendments partially addressed the issue but did not eradicate some sorts of leave accumulation. Therefore, governments may still have large payout commitments for long-term employees whose contracts provided time to roll over.

Abbott defended his record and called serving West Orange a lifetime privilege when he retired last year. According to official professional records, he is now East Newark’s public safety director after retiring. His new post has not been announced by borough officials.

For now, West Orange verification is the priority. Township authorities want correct, documented, and legal payments. Abbott’s lawyer said his client followed the rules throughout his career.

The situation shows how public service contracts, taxpayer accountability, and long-term financial planning connect. Residents and officials await word on whether the almost $787,000 compensation will remain as estimated or be altered.