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Police and fire chiefs warn lower pay plans could worsen staffing; council asks for costed alternatives
Summary
City department leaders told council that reducing the recommended pay increase would harm recruitment and raise overtime costs; council asked staff for reconciled cost scenarios comparing 4% COLA, a one-time $1,500 bonus, and other mixes.
FAYETTEVILLE — Police and fire department leaders told the council during the May 29 budget session that scaling back the recommended recurring compensation increases would risk losing staff and increase overtime obligations.
Police and fire chiefs said recent council actions that made the city's pay package more competitive had reduced vacancies and attracted lateral hires; both chiefs warned that moving from the recommended 4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to a lower ongoing pay increase could reverse those gains. “If we go back to 2%, I’m going to start losing people,” one chief said, urging council to consider the long-term retention effects.
Council asked staff to return with precise reconciled figures showing the net cost of alternatives — including a 4% COLA, a one-time $1,500 payment to non‑step employees, a 1% 401(k) parity change and combinations of those options — and to clarify how vacancy savings and step increases interact with recurring compensation costs.
Why it matters: Ongoing compensation choices affect recurring budget commitments; one-time bonuses reduce near-term pressure but do not solve long-term competitiveness or compression. Department leaders said inadequate recurring adjustments would raise overtime and recruitment costs, shifting the burden onto operations.
Next step: Staff will model the scenarios requested by council and return with a reconciled cost sheet and options for balancing the operating envelope under a zero‑tax baseline or with penny-based revenue alternatives.
