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Council refers fire‑chief reclassification and proposed pay bump back to staff after questions about timing and justification
Summary
Council heard a proposal to reclassify the appointed Fire Chief to grade 17 with a 2026 salary range of $195,000–$231,000, based on market data and added responsibilities including oversight of behavioral crisis response. Members questioned whether the BCR justification applied given an ongoing contract, asked where the additional ~$25,000 would be paid from, and voted to send the item back to staff for clarification.
Human Resources presented a job reclassification for the appointed Fire Chief that would increase the position’s grade and lift the 2026 salary range to $195,000–$231,000, citing a market study and new responsibilities. BRENDA MILLER (classification supervisor) described the market gap (about 13%) and the proposed grading change; Deputy Director Jared Jeffreys and OCS Director Jared Jeffreys responded to council questions about whether Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) is being brought in‑house.
Councilmembers including Chughtai and Stevenson pressed the administration on timing and fiscal impact: Councilmember Chughtai noted the external contract currently supplies BCR and asked why salary increases are being justified on a program that is not yet in‑house; staff responded the program’s oversight responsibilities rest with the Fire Department and are a factor in market comparison. CPED/Human Resources staff estimated the immediate budget impact at roughly $25,000–$26,000 annually and said departments would reconcile the change through their budget processes.
After extensive discussion about the timing and the need for clearer documentation (including FTE counts and exact budget impacts), the committee voted to refer the item back to staff, asking for corrections to the job classification language (removing incorrect statements about bringing BCR fully in‑house), a clearer summary of fiscal impacts and reconciliation options, and a plan to return updated materials to the committee.
