Jackson Free Press

More than 100 police officers crowded into City Hall to demand higher pay from City Council's Quality of Life Committee Monday, but council members say they haven't received any proposals for higher pay from Mayor Frank Melton and Police Chief Shirlene Anderson. They say that they are powerless to give the police a raise until Melton proposes it to City Council, which he has not yet done.

Police officers, including many of the department's senior officers, completely filled council chambers and spilled out into the hallway.

"As a law enforcement officer," Ward 6 Councilman Marshand Crisler said, "I know that every council member up here is open to giving our police officers a pay raise. … But that's the responsibility of the administration, to make those recommendations and requests. This council sitting before you right now has never rejected a proposal for giving the Jackson Police Department a pay raise."

"Having said that," Crisler continued, "I don't know why it was necessary to bring all of you here. I'm glad that you're here, but we're already with you. We know that you need a raise. We want to give you a raise."

Commander Steve Samson, who presented proposals on paying for a salary increase, said the department hoped to raise the average officer's salary from $29,800 to $37,000. At present, rookie officers start at $24,000 and are supposed to move up to $28,000 after a year.

Sansom said that the proposed increase would cost $3.6 million, which the city could fund through fee increases or a hike in the tax on hotel rooms from 75 cents to $5. The department's plan, which Sansom would not release to City Council members because it was "a rough draft," included proposed fee increases on everything from parking violations to municipal court services to background checks and false-alarm fees on homes and businesses. Sansom said the police department had looked at "11 or 12 areas" where the city might increase fees.

Sansom said the increase in pay was essential if the city was to successfully recruit and retain officers. He said that in his precinct alone, the number of patrolman had fallen from 75 to 46 over the last year.

Council members sparred with Anderson before and after Sansom's presentation.

"This isn't what I expected today," Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said. "I thought we were here to listen to the chief's plan." Later, she told the Jackson Free Press that she didn't know what to make of Anderson bringing so many police officers with her. "I certainly think it was meant to be (a political gesture). The timing of this was most irregular," she said, noting that the administration had submitted its budget—without pay raises—months ago.

Anderson assured the council that she had not planned or organized the demonstration by police officers. "I didn't request that they come. They decided on their own that they would come, which I'm glad that they did, because this effects them, more than it does me or anyone else at the police department. … I think that they are well-deserved a raise," Anderson said.

"Of course they are," Barrett-Simon replied. "That's not the issue here. My question to you is: Was there any request that you have made of this council that we have not honored? Is there something that we have refused to do that you're discussing today? We all know that our pay (for officers) is a tremendous problem, but we approved the budget that was brought to us by your department and the executive branch."

"I wasn't here when the budget was approved," Anderson replied, "because we didn't get a chance. The things that we put into the budget weren't for a pay raise, because the city didn't have the money."

"Are you now asking for a budget revision?" Barrett-Simon asked.

"We asked for the budget revision some time ago," Anderson replied.

"Chief, we haven't had a budget revision," Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore corrected Anderson. "We have not had one, and it's been more than three months."

"I'm just a little confused here," Barrett-Simon said. "We have not refused any of your budget requests, and if these are new requests, there is a process by which you make that request. It comes from the executive branch. I want all the officers here to understand that your budget came from your department and the executive branch to us."

"Ms. Barrett," Anderson interjected, "we have made things known to this council, repeatedly, that the Jackson Police Department are underpaid."

"We all know that," Barrett-Simon answered. "The issue is that we can't vote for a pay raise unless the executive branch brings it to us, and you have not."

"I am in favor of a raise for the police department," McLemore added. "Some of us have short memories, but there was a proposal put forth by the administration a year ago, and then they drew it back." Both McLemore and Crisler made reference to the first draft of Melton's proposed budget last year, which included a tax increase that would have funded a pay raise for officers. Melton withdrew that budget within 24 hours and submitted a new budget that did not include a raise for police. Last February, Melton eliminated overtime pay for officers as an austerity measure.

"As one council member, I am clearly in favor of a raise," McLemore continued. "Bear in mind that we have a police-friendly mayor, who prides himself on leading the police department. I think we should all clearly understand that the recommendation that came forth to this council (for a pay raise last year) was withdrawn by the police-friendly mayor. So make sure you have this conversation with our police-friendly mayor, and get a commitment of support from him. Then the council will work with it."

Melton has expressed reservations about any increase in taxes or fees, however. "I would be against any tax increase until we get all of our warrants served," Melton told The Clarion-Ledger, though he also said he supports the proposed salary increase.

Melton did not return a call requesting clarification.

Barrett-Simon asked Anderson when City Council could expect to get a written proposal from the administration. "Pretty soon," Anderson replied. "As soon as we can get with Rick Hill in Finance."

Previous Comments

ID

67432

Comment

Do The Clarion-Ledger edit-boyz have any clue about what is going on in City Hall??? Do they not understand that the chief had police flood City Hall demanding a pay raise (which she and Melton have not asked for) in order to deflect criticism of the pitiful job she is doing, and hopefully, to get naive edit-boyz to write editorials declaring she is "right." What yucks.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-02-14T15:47:33-06:00

ID

67433

Comment

Maybe it's because they read The Clarion-Ledger's story on this meeting. It's as if they attended a different meeting. This paragraph, in particular, shows how scattershot their reporting is. How is anyone supposed to understand what happened based on this? City Council members, though, appeared caught off guard Monday by the plan. Chief Administrative Officer Robert Walker said he and others in the administration had not seen the report. Mayor Frank Melton said he does not favor a tax increase.

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2007-02-14T16:15:57-06:00

ID

67434

Comment

It's like random words thrown at a wall to see which ones stick. Am I missing something, Brian, or did they not quote a single one of the Council members statements about how it is up to the administration to present a plan for a police pay raise?!? It is really no wonder that Melton is mayor, with media like this.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-02-14T16:40:50-06:00

ID

67435

Comment

This is predictable. Had they actually spent time coming up with a budget that makes sense, instead of suddenly calling for raised hotel fees, perhaps this would make sense. Instead, it's just one more seat-o'-the-pants ploy by the Melton administration. I really feel like everything they do is a reaction to the last headline, which of course they themselves make. I've truly never witnessed such a mess of a city administration, and I've seen some bad ones.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-02-14T16:48:18-06:00

ID

67436

Comment

merging parks and roads will be his way to take money away from parks and say he is spending this much money on roads and its harder to keep track of.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-02-14T16:50:50-06:00

ID

67437

Comment

I don't know if this is a dumb question or not, but didn't the legislature allow the city to have a referendum on the hotel tax to pay for the convention center. Is the city allowed to have another referendum to increase the tax to pay for city raises?

Author

jd

Date

2007-02-14T16:57:44-06:00

ID

67438

Comment

I thought the convention center was a bond issue and was a local and private law. I don't think you normallly issue bonds to cover operating expenses. Typically bonds cover capital improvements of one type or another. There are those who post here far more informed on this than me but I think the city is fairly limited in its ability to raise taxes to cover operational expenses. The hotel occupancy tax has been around a while, since 1995 I think, and is just one of a couple of "back door" ways for the city to shake out some more money.

Author

Niles Hooper

Date

2007-02-14T18:40:13-06:00