West Tisbury select board finalized the contract for incoming police chief Bradley Cortez Wednesday evening.  

The chief will have a salary of $195,000, with an additional 2.5 per cent raise in the second and the third year of the contract.   

The amount was determined by looking at the contracts of other police chiefs around the Island, as well as looking at salaries throughout the department.   

“If we presume that the chief should be paid more than the other departmental members, this is 5 per cent more than the next ranking official,” town administrator Jennifer Rand said at the meeting.  

The select board picked Mr. Cortez to be the new chief out of three internal finalists last month. He will be sworn in Sept. 4 as police chief and is replacing Matt Mincone. Mr. Mincone is retiring after more than 30 years of service.