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Resident raises pay-equity concerns as finance committee flags midyear COLA questions
Summary
A resident urged the board to address a disparity between proposed cost-of-living adjustments for police and firefighters; the finance committee chair said midyear COLA changes have lasting budget impacts and will return for further discussion.
During public comment at the Jan. 28 Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Hendersonville resident Kimberly Overton told the board she supported first responders but urged the board to reconsider a proposed cost-of-living adjustment that she said would give police a larger percentage increase than firefighters.
Overton said it was her understanding that firefighters were slated to receive a COLA of nearly 1 percent this fiscal year while the police department would receive increases ranging from about 3.5 percent to as much as 11 percent depending on rank. She noted the police department previously received raises after a July 2023 pay study and cautioned that large midyear disparities can harm morale and recruitment.
Later in the meeting Finance Committee Chair Alderman Sasse summarized committee discussion of a midyear budget amendment and said committee members had concerns about making a substantial, lasting COLA adjustment midyear. Sasse said the committee wanted full-board discussion and cautioned that changes with multi-year budget implications merit careful review.
Sasse asked the full board to consider how to address disparities among public safety and other staff and signaled the matter would return for further deliberation at the board’s next meeting.
