(La Porte, IN) - Federal COVID-19 relief dollars are being used in LaPorte to stop an alarming rate of police officers going elsewhere for higher pay.
The LaPorte City Council on Monday approved a 17-percent salary hike for the police and fire departments.
Other city employees, for the most part, will see their paychecks go up by about 10-percent.
Mayor Tom Dermody said the increases were the largest in the city’s history but needed to stop the bleeding of staffing at the police department. The loss of firefighters hasn’t been as significant, but low pay is cited for a noticeable drop in applicants when there are openings.
“Police and fire are the cornerstones to building our community. If you don’t have that, nothing else matters,” Dermody said.
Dermody blamed the turnover on higher pay at surrounding police departments wanting to retain and attract officers because replacing them has become increasingly demanding, partially because of law enforcement as a career option dropping in popularity nationwide.
“When officers can go tomorrow and make $20,000 more in other communities, now we’re more competitive,” Dermody said.
Beginning January 1, probationary officers will be paid $50,000 annually. A patrolman will receive $55,000. Pay increases for every move up in rank to a maximum of $75,000 for the police and fire chiefs.
Dermody said the loss of firefighters and other city employees related to pay hadn’t been as much, but the idea is to keep those numbers from growing. The salary increases over the next two years will cost $1.5 million.
The funds are being taken from the $11 million the city is receiving in federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act adopted by Congress and signed by the president in March to help communities impacted by COVID-19.
City Councilman Tim Franke said he’s confident that the city can maintain higher salaries without a tax increase once the federal stimulus dollars are spent. He said additional tax money generated from new developments like the privately-owned Northwest Health hospital and resort-type apartments going up at NewPorte Landing should cover the expense. If not, Franke said the city could make cuts in the budget to make up the balance.
“I feel comfortable that we’ll be able to find ways to pay for it,” he said.
