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Council approves creating a lieutenant position, shifting a sergeant role to support training and projects
Summary
Council adopted an amendment to the 2026 salary ordinance to replace one sergeant with a lieutenant position in the police department; the controller said the net annual cost is modest (~$19,969) and is covered by budget adjustments this year and in the 2027 submission.
Council considered Ordinance 2026‑16 to add a lieutenant position while eliminating one sergeant slot in the police salary ordinance. Controller McKim explained the salary ordinance contained a longstanding clerical discrepancy about the number of sergeants; the proposed change eliminates one sergeant and creates a lieutenant, with an estimated full‑year net cost of about $19,969 and a prorated remainder‑of‑year cost covered by unspent appropriations.
Police Chief Mike Deacoff explained that a lieutenant offers broader operational authority and capacity for special projects and training oversight that a sergeant does not. “This new role... will be very instrumental in not only managing training, but will also help with those projects and help us do research,” the chief said. Council adopted a correction amendment for numeric typos and then passed the ordinance. The council discussion sought clarity about the historic discrepancy between budget lines and the salary ordinance language and confirmed the change is already included in the 2027 budget submission.
The measure passed on roll call after brief public and council comment that requested better internal communication about personnel reclassifications across offices.
