North Baltimore council raises full‑time police pay to $26.50 an hour

The Village of North Baltimore on Sept. 2 approved a pay increase that brings all full‑time police officers to $26.50 an hour, aiming to improve recruitment and retention.

The action followed remarks from Sgt. Brossia, who told council the village’s police pay is "the lowest paid around the area," that the department is down one full‑time officer and several part‑time officers, and that the village needed "something to entice people to come here." Councilmember Dee Hefner moved to eliminate milestone raises and set a flat $26.50 hourly rate for full‑time officers; Mr. Richmond seconded. The motion carried on a unanimous vote.

Why it matters: Council members framed the change as a tool to make North Baltimore more competitive for qualified applicants without specifying the full cost to the village or identifying funding sources in the meeting record. The minutes record a unanimous vote but do not list individual roll‑call votes.

Council discussion and next steps: Mayor Aaron Patterson said he would have preferred to wait until the start of the year but the motion passed immediately. The motion as adopted replaces milestone increases with the single hourly rate for full‑time officers; the minutes do not specify whether part‑time wages or future adjustments will follow or how the change affects benefits or overtime calculations.

The council did not document a financial breakdown or identify a funding source during the meeting; the minutes state only the ordinance/motion and its passage. The next routine step is for the council or village administrator to record the pay change in payroll and any necessary budget adjustments.