The police pay increase — amounting to 24 percent over three years — drew criticism from council members Dan Davis and Susan Nilmeier, who voted against final passage of the pay raise late Wednesday.
Nilmeier said predictions of a “modest” recession and the low level of city cash reserves — about $800,000 — made her hesitant to approve a pay raise that was contained in an agreement made last year, before the economic downturn and when the city was banking on the passage of tax measures to increase revenues. The tax increases were rejected by voters in November.
“I don’t know how we can honor these commitments. I can’t vote yes on multi-year increases in a recession,” she said.
Davis, who argued against the raises at the April 16 meeting, said he was dissatisfied with the methodology arrived at by Colangelo and Becklenberg for computing pay raises to make police salaries competitive with surrounding cities, particularly trading health benefits for salary increases that boosted police retirement pay.
I agree with Davis. If the cops want to make more money – go to work in Monterey, Salinas or Oakland where you have to get out of the cruiser and chase a rapist or gang member with a gun. The work is not real tough in P.G.
(picture from morriefisher.com)