By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Chiefland Police Chief Scott Anderson on Monday requested a nearly $4,000 increase in starting pay for his officers and an amended policy allowing take-home patrol cars anywhere in the county to help with recruiting employees.
His requests were made during a budget workshop with the city commission, but the board members didn’t appear ready to endorse either request, but at least one more member indicated a willingness to work with him.
Anderson said he faces problems recruiting officers to the Chiefland Police Department because the pay is not competitive with surrounding agencies and the take-home policy of requiring officers to live within 10 miles of the city isn’t an incentive either.
“There’s no way we can gainfully employ people other than as a training ground unless we do something to match surrounding agencies,” Anderson said.
He noted that the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office recently increased its starting pay to $34,000. The Levy County Sheriff’s Office wants a similar increase. Gainesville police start their officers at $45,000. Williston police start at $32,000 but are requesting $34,000.
Mayor Betty Walker said the city must be mindful that revenues are needed to pay for raises, but at the same time, she understands the city can’t retain good officers unless they receive a competitive wage.
“You’ve got to sustain the level of service and no one wants to raise taxes,” she said. “When people come to the police department, they get trained. What do they do; they leave.”
The total cost of the raises would be $47,000 annually not including state retirement contributions required under the Florida Retirement System.
Discussion of the take-home policy began when Commissioner Chris Jones said city K-9 Officer Pete Barnes had moved to Williston and needed to use his patrol car to transport the dog from Williston to work. Jones said he didn’t have any problem with Barnes’ request.
Anderson suggested the city commission might be better off changing the take-home policy to allow police officers to drive their patrol cars home from anywhere in Levy County.
Commissioner Teresa Barron said she personally favors keeping the 10-mile rule for take-home police cars.
“That’s one of the biggest things in the community; if people in the community see that vehicle in Inglis or wherever they are coming up to us to ask about that and it puts wear and tear on the vehicle,” she said.
George Corwine, president of the Police Benevolent Association, Central Chapter, which represents officers in the Chiefland Police Department, endorsed the proposed increase in starting pay from $30,014 to $34,000 and the take-home vehicle policy proposed by Anderson.
Anderson also complained about his lack of input into either of the issues. He said he has been told he can provide no input in union negotiations or the take-home car policy.
“I don’t have any say so in these negotiations (with PBA) because I don’t know what’s going on,” he said.
Jones said he would prefer to talk face to face with PBA representatives rather than listening to an officer “making statements that are out of place.”
The question of how to fund police pay raises also gave rise to discussion of whether the city should allow Sunday sales of alcohol to increase city revenues. The city receives alcohol tax revenues. Chiefland has no bars or taverns in town. Licensed restaurants and businesses can sell alcohol on weekdays, but are forbidden to sell alcohol on Sunday.
Jones said he personally has no problem with someone sitting down after church and having a drink at a restaurant, or buying alcohol at Walmart and taking it home to drink in the privacy of their home while watching a football game. He said he is a Christian and attends church services. He said he realizes it is a touchy subject with some people, but for him personally, he has no objection.
The subject of Sunday alcohol sales has come up at budget workshops in the past but never got any traction. Local churches frequently are opposed to Sunday sale of alcohol.
City commissioners made no decision on the police pay raises or the take-home patrol car issue, but the city is in the early stages of budget discussions. The current police department budget is $1,036,137. Anderson is taking no pay raise for himself. He wants to pay raise for his officers.
Photo by Terry Witt: Police Chief Scott Anderson and Police Benevolent Association representative George Corwine listen as city commissioners respond to Anderson’s requests.
City of Chiefland Regular Meeting June 25, 2018
Posted June 26, 2018
