Police chief asks council to fund temporary dispatcher pay increases and additional part‑time hiring

Wickliffe’s police chief told the council on Sept. 8 that the department needs additional funds in the dispatcher line item to cover training pay for a newly hired replacement and asked for authorization to hire an additional part‑time dispatcher. The chief said the department received more than 50 applicants and expects to make hiring decisions this week.

Why it matters: dispatch staffing affects 911 response and day‑to‑day public safety operations. The chief said extra salary money for 2½ to three months will be needed to train a new full‑time hire and that an additional part‑time hire would require a smaller amount of funding.

Details: the chief asked the city finance director to identify funds for a temporary increase in the dispatcher line; the finance director (Mattis) said this should be manageable and later referenced roughly $20,000 in potential increases discussed with police for the year, which finance staff will review. The chief also said an officer is deployed and is expected to return in February, which factors into staffing calculations.

Discussion versus decision: the council discussed staffing needs; no formal appropriation or budget amendment was adopted that night. The finance director said staff would monitor and consider transfers or a formal increase later in the year if necessary.

Next steps: police and finance will track payroll line items and present any required transfers or budget amendments to council for approval; the department will complete hiring and training per standard personnel procedures.