A mix of relief and disappointment followed the Board of Aldermen’s votes to approve two-year contracts with the city’s commissioned and noncommissioned police officers Thursday.
Both contracts include 4 percent step salary increases for some officers in fiscal 2013 and a provision for possibly more officers to get the increases, depending on how fiscal 2012 ends. The contracts are in effect through June 30, 2013.
If the city ends fiscal 2012 with $1.1 million more than the city budgeted, then all civilian city employees will receive a 4 percent raise in 2013, and additional police who are due to receive step increases in 2013 will get them.
The vote for the commissioned officers’ contract was unanimous, even though Alderwoman Karen Young said she had some unanswered questions about both contracts. She said her doubt was never whether the police deserved steps.
“For me the question has always been can we afford it — a very different question,” Young said.
She and Alderman Michael O’Connor discussed measures the city could take that would address some concerns about financing priorities. They do not want revenue from red-light and speed cameras to be relied on to fund the steps, and they want the city to consider whether the steps are the greatest priority if there is a serious need to pay for another public safety item, such as road repairs, and they want the city to increase the tax base.
“I can’t disagree with you about growing the revenue base,” O’Connor said. “We need more taxpayers.”
Alderwoman Carol Krimm said she had agreed to support any contract that Mayor Randy McClement and the Fraternal Order of Police agreed to. She praised the work of police in helping to uncover a statewide gang, noting that the dangers police face are unknown.
Alderwoman Shelley Aloi cast the only vote against the contract for noncommissioned officers because she said she believed it has a potential for too many unknown costs. The annual cost of allowing officers who are on an on-call roster to choose between call-back pay or use of a take-home vehicle could be as much as $450,000 per year, but there is no way of knowing exactly, she said.
“With this unknown, I can’t in principle support the contract,” Aloi said. “I’m sad to say I can’t support it.”
Charlie Snyder, president of Francis Scott Key Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91, said he was thankful the contracts are settled after a year of negotiations, but disappointed that the votes were not unanimous.
Young and Aloi said they might have had their questions answered if they had been given the contract sooner.