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Port Royal council signals pay increases and a discretionary police bonus program
Summary
Council endorsed a 3% COLA for all town employees and discussed an additional 2% pay increase for the police department plus a discretionary bonus pool the chief would administer to reward education, military service and merit; council asked staff to draft policy details and criteria.
At the May 14 meeting, councilors and staff discussed employee compensation across the town and specific changes for the police department.
Council signaled support for a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all municipal staff and an additional 2% increase for police employees. Council and staff also proposed reinstating an education-reimbursement policy for all departments and establishing a discretionary bonus pool for the police chief to allocate for education, military service and merit-based rewards. A council member summarized the intent: "We want you to own this...I want it to be you that says, I'm the police chief, and this is the criteria for them." (Council member).
Staff noted the town will clarify eligibility to ensure education reimbursements are work-related and that the administration intends to include clear criteria in the personnel manual. Council emphasized merit-based awards rather than blanket bonuses and asked that the chief keep receipts and provide accountability for allocations.
Next steps: staff and police leadership will draft the policy language, detail proposed pool size and eligibility criteria, and return to council for approval as part of the budget process.
