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Town manager asks commission for flexibility to raise police starting pay to secure candidate
Summary
Town Manager Michelle told commissioners Ocean Ridge is losing candidates to neighboring agencies paying $76k–$78k; she asked for discretion to increase the starting salary about $7,000 for a candidate the department wants to hire and to bring formal budget adjustments at the September hearings. Commissioners discussed compression for current officers and PBA negotiations.
Town Manager Michelle told the commission the town has struggled to recruit officers compared with neighboring agencies paying roughly $76,000–$78,000 starting salary; she said Ocean Ridge’s current starting salary is $70,000. She requested the commission’s flexibility to increase the starting floor by about $7,000 to secure a candidate who might otherwise accept an offer elsewhere.
Michelle said, “I need you to allow some flexibility on what that starting salary is, at least, and then we I could bring that information back, to memorialize final decision within the budget, of course, during the September hearings.” Commissioners debated the fiscal ripple effects for current officers, possible compression, and negotiating positions with the PBA; some members supported giving the manager discretion to avoid losing a recruit, while others preferred waiting for full contract negotiations. The manager and chief said they would return with cost estimates and formal budget language for the September meeting.
