City manager proposes on‑call part‑time officers to cover police staffing gaps

The City Manager told the Mason City Council on Tuesday that the city currently has two open police positions — one vacancy from a recent opening and one from a retirement — and is actively recruiting for an investigator and an officer.

To address short‑term staffing pressures, the chief has proposed one or more part‑time on‑call positions filled by seasoned officers who could pick up shifts during transitions, the manager said. The positions would be non‑union and would be offered only after current officers have the opportunity to take overtime; the manager said the union has supported that approach.

Manager said the on‑call arrangement is intended to prevent ordering in officers from outside departments and to preserve continuity while recruitment proceeds: "These part time positions could help supplement so that if you do have time off that you can take it and that we can offer those shifts as one‑offs if someone's interested," she told council. She also said the city has seen recruitment pressure across Michigan and that the proposal is designed to have no net budget impact because the on‑call shifts would cover open shifts rather than add net payroll.