Committee holds request to amend salary ordinance footnote on fire chief pay authority

The committee held a communication from the Fire and Police Commission and Department of Employee Relations seeking to clarify the salary ordinance footnote so the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) would have explicit authority to set the fire chief—s recruitment pay within the council-established pay range.

Jay Busick, deputy director of the Fire and Police Commission, and FPC representatives explained the commission wants parity in recruitment flexibility that the police chief already has. Committee members asked for documentation of prior council action that had provided similar authority to the FPC for the police chief, and Alderman Robert Speicher said he wanted the committee to retain a role in reviewing special rates because of potential budgetary ripple effects. Concerns were raised that allowing the FPC unfettered flexibility to set pay near the top of the range could create upward pressure across comparable executive pay and complicate upcoming budget deliberations.

The committee—s chair and several members favored parity but also asked the city attorney and staff to provide the legislative record and legal analysis. Alderman Michael Moore moved to hold the file to the call of the chair to allow for additional documentation and legal review; the motion carried.