Committee advances ordinance changing assistant chief pay grades after debate over reclassification and budget

The Hendersonville Public Safety Committee voted June 9 to advance Ordinance 20268, which amends personnel rules (HR42 §4) to change promotional pay steps for assistant police and fire chiefs and to amend the proposed 2026–27 budget to appropriate funding for the change.

The ordinance, sponsored by Alderman Mark Skidmore and Alderman Jana Garton, would set assistant chiefs to begin at step five on the city’s trimmed 12‑step schedule for department heads. Committee members and staff said the adjustment affects only public safety positions; staff estimated the immediate annual differential discussed in the meeting at about $20,250 and said a budget amendment will be needed to formalize the funding.

Why it matters: sponsors and Firefighters Association leadership said the change preserves rank‑equity and acknowledges the training, administrative and marshal roles. Matthew Cole, vice president of the Airville Firefighters Association Local 3460, said the planned change would unfairly “leave[] those three positions behind.” He urged that the chief of training, administrative fire chief and fire marshal remain aligned with division chiefs in pay and opportunity.

Staff response and fiscal mechanics: administrative staff explained the pay‑step calculation is a simple promotional percentage applied to base pay and that administration of the updated policy would be straightforward. Staff and chiefs told the committee they can cover most of the adjustment from existing vacancy‑driven savings in police and fire budgets, but that accounting choices (vacancy counts and overtime) will affect the year‑end balance and a budget amendment is required to formalize the change.

Concerns about compression and pay-study fidelity: Fire Chief George Edwards and several members pressed that the city’s pay study was market‑based and that reclassifying battalion and division chiefs upward may create compression with three other fire positions that remain at the previous grade. Chief Edwards warned that leaving training, administrative and marshal positions behind could make those roles less attractive if responsibilities remain unchanged. Jason Gallow, administrative services director, explained the reclassification process: it moves a position’s grade to align with market benchmarks and places incumbents at the closest step at or above their current pay (not a promotion in duties).

Outcome and next steps: the committee advanced and approved the ordinance by voice vote; a numeric roll call was not recorded in the committee transcript. Members directed staff to prepare any necessary budget amendment language and asked the chiefs to identify specific vacancy savings or other internal adjustments to fund the change. The committee also signaled it will continue to monitor compression effects and may revisit targeted adjustments in future budget cycles.

Sources: committee discussion and public comments at the June 9 meeting of the Hendersonville Public Safety Committee.