Committee advances pay plan: most police and fire to get 7%, other city employees 3%

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen Budget & Public Employees Committee on Feb. 12 voted to advance Board Bill 173, a pay plan that would give most commissioned police and fire personnel a 7% increase and a 3% raise for other city employees, while collapsing the police salary matrix from 30 steps to 20.

The bill matters because it immediately affects city payroll and will add recurring costs to next year’s budget. Committee members pressed budget staff about how the increases would be funded and union representatives criticized the speed and process of the negotiations.

John Understell, deputy director of personnel, told the committee that the police and fire increases are centered on the changes to the pay matrix. "For most police commission police and fire employees, the increase will be 7%," Understell said, adding that collapsing the matrix means some employees at the highest existing steps will receive less than 7% because steps 21–30 will compress into the new range. "I don't want to mislead by saying 7% across the board. That will range from 2 to about 5% for those (on the…