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Police and fire representatives confirm longevity increase process under IC 36-8-22; council to verify legal and fiscal details
Summary
Representatives of the Scottsburg Police and Scottsburg Fire Alliance told the council they completed the recognition process under Indiana Code 36-8-22 and asked the council to apply a previously approved longevity increase to 25 percent for eligible officers; city staff said they will verify the legal and budgetary details before final action.
Representatives of the Scottsburg Police and Scottsburg Fire Alliance told the City Council that they completed an election and recognition process under Indiana Code 36-8-22 and requested that the council apply a 25 percent longevity rate for eligible officers.
Brian Hall, identified in the meeting as the representative and FOP president, said an election was held on April 3, 2025, in which members of the Scottsburg Police and Fire departments formed the alliance and elected representatives. Hall and staff said the 25 percent longevity change was approved earlier by the council but was not implemented under the legal process required by IC 36-8-22; the alliance followed the statute to correct that procedural issue.
Hall said the alliance's petition and the subsequent election satisfied the statutory process. He and city staff said they consulted with the FOP lawyer, Leo Blackwell, who advised that the alliance's approach complied with legal requirements. City staff asked the alliance to provide written confirmation from its attorney; staff said they will also run the arrangement by the city's attorney before formalizing any pay change.
Staff and the alliance said the intent of the increase is to help recruit and retain officers. The alliance told the council it would consider dissolving after the longevity change takes effect; staff noted any such dissolution would not automatically grandfather in additional future claims beyond the longevity adjustment.
No final council vote or formal ordinance adopting the corrected longevity rate was recorded in the workshop. City staff said the longevity amount was included in the current-year budget but that staff still must confirm precise fiscal impacts, and they will provide those numbers at the next meeting.
The council did not take formal action during the workshop; staff recommended verifying the attorney opinions and confirming budget numbers before moving forward.
