Booneville council hears police concerns as proposed personnel manual would remove comp time

Booneville held a first reading Oct. 6 of an ordinance (Bill 2025-023) to adopt a new personnel manual effective Nov. 1, 2025; the manual would add Juneteenth as a city holiday and remove comp time as an option for compensating extra hours, moving instead to pay overtime for hours worked.

The proposal prompted extended public comment and council discussion. Michael Moore, a private citizen and a former Booneville police officer from 2016–2023, said he supported adding Juneteenth but urged the council to keep comp time. "Comp time is a benefit that officers and presumably other employees have come to rely on," Moore said during the public-comment period. He described comp time as a source of scheduling flexibility that helps officers attend family events and avoid forced shift changes.

Scott Black, a 23-year veteran of the Booneville Police Department, expanded on operational and personnel effects. Black said accrued comp hours are routinely managed to avoid overtime costs and that banked comp time represents an employee expectation. "Padding hours is theft of time," he said when describing alleged abuses, but he added such padding is rare and a management issue. He warned that removing comp time could worsen recruitment and retention: "If someone comes in our agency and realizes that they only get overtime...that is a slippery slope to lose comp time."

Council members and staff discussed operational details and fiscal impacts. Staff said the version presented is the same as a prior proposal that failed on a previous vote and that department heads would retain discretion under certain provisions, but the current draft presented to council would eliminate comp time in favor of straight pay and overtime (time-and-a-half when applicable). Chief Cooper noted some senior officers prefer overtime because retirement calculations use pay amounts, while newer officers may prefer comp time.

Councilmembers asked staff to solicit more input from affected departments before a second reading. City staff emphasized that the change is intended to simplify payroll and ensure employees are paid for hours worked; staff also noted the city previously adopted 12-hour patrol shifts and increased initial vacation for recruits to aid recruitment and retention. No final vote occurred; the item remains at first reading with staff directed to gather additional feedback and return with possible amendments.

Actions and status: The personnel-manual ordinance (Bill 2025-023) was introduced at first reading and discussed; council did not adopt the ordinance at this meeting. Staff said the draft is identical to the prior version but that line-item amendments could be made prior to a subsequent reading.

Why it matters: The change would affect multiple city departments, in particular public safety (police and fire), with potential downstream effects on staffing, scheduling and retirement calculations. Councilmembers said they wanted clearer input from departmental staff and affected employees before taking final action.

Ending: The council left the ordinance at first reading and asked staff, including Randy, to consult further with department personnel and return with clarifications or recommended edits ahead of the next meeting.