Stafford council approves pay adjustments for police after months-long debate

Chief Ramirez of the Stafford Police Department requested council approval on Oct. 15 for targeted market adjustments to police pay after in-house and HR salary studies found the department below market.

Chief Ramirez (Stafford Police Department) told the council that patrol officers and detectives were about 12percent below market in March, and HR's later study showed a larger gap for some ranks. To close those gaps he proposed raises on top of the 2% across-the-board increase already adopted in the budget: an additional 12% for patrol and detectives (14% total including the 2% already in budget), an additional 8% for sergeants (10% total), and an additional 3% for lieutenants, captains, assistant chiefs and dispatchers (5% total). The chief said the city finance director had reviewed the cost calculations. He said the nine-month cost for adjusting pay beginning with the first full pay period in January would be $486,824.57 (rounded to $487,000), or about $54,000 per month.

Council members and members of the public discussed trade-offs between salary and benefit levels, whether to delay for a citywide review and performance audit, and the cost of replacing officers who leave. Councilman Wood, Councilman Guerra, Councilwoman Rosas, Councilwoman Chen and others took part in an extended debate. Council members raising concerns argued that other departments may also need adjustments and that the city should pursue a performance-efficiency audit to guide broader decisions; proponents said the police openings pose an immediate public-safety and staffing risk and that the financial statements released that night showed the city could afford the change.

Public speakers including Dawn Edelblut of the Stafford Police Officers Association and residents Randy Kron and Jose Migana urged the council to act immediately. "We're currently at 14% below market," said Dawn Edelblut. "You table it now, you table it again, and then the next thing you know, you're 25% below market." Resident Jose Migana warned that large events next year will increase demand for officers and that recruiting and training replacements takes months.

After discussion councilmembers voted to approve the pay adjustments as presented. The council asked the chief and finance director to return at the next meeting with a formal resolution, updated salary classifications and step-program changes for adoption.