Chief Russ Mager Heading To Longboat Key.
DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Delray Beach Police Chief Russ Mager, who just “retired” from the Delray Beach Police Department, is actually joining a police department on the other side of the state. Mager was named Chief of the Longboat Key police force. It’s unclear how this new job affects what is expected to be a sizable pension from his nearly thirty years on the Delray Beach Police force.
Mager announced his retirement on June 6th and officially left Delray Beach on June 16th. He was announced as Chief of the Longboat Key force on Thursday. He starts on August 4th.
Under rules and regulations for municipal employees in the State of Florida, workers can take part in “Drop,” which is the Deferred Retirement Option Program. In extremely basic terms, a worker can retire, have retirement benefits invested in a state-run investment account, then continue to work for up to eight years while continuing to receive a municipal salary. Critics call it ‘double dipping,’ but supporters say it is a legitimate way for municipal workers to earn a significant income while still providing services to a municipality. It’s unclear whether Mager is taking part in “drop” while returning to work just weeks after officially retiring.
The Longboat Key chief job was listed as paying between $145,000 and $165,000 a year. Mager was making approximately $207,000 a year in Delray Beach.
We do not know if City of Delray Beach officials knew that Mager was applying for work in another police department as he was wrapping up his tenure in Delray Beach. He recently criticized the contract impasse between the City of Delray Beach and the police union, blaming the impasse on the loss of 15 officers who chose to leave the department.
Read full coverage from the Longboat Key News here.
