By Becky Killian, Staff Writer
City employees will receive an eight percent raise in 2025, while emergency responders will each get a $7,000 raise. Those are the most recent numbers approved by a majority vote during the Monday, Sept. 9, meeting of the Salem Common Council. The raises don’t apply to elected positions.
Council members who voted in favor of the raises were Dan Libka, Dylan Moore, Steve Crane, and Randy Lee Jr. The opposing vote was cast by Roger Pennington.
The latest vote came on the heels of two special Common Council meetings during which the struggle of attracting and retaining quality public safety employees was discussed. Many towns, cities and counties have difficulty offering competitive wages to public safety employees, which can lead those employees to take more lucrative jobs elsewhere.
After those special meetings, the Council approved a $5,000 raise for each police officer and fire fighter and a six percent pay increase for all other city employees effective in 2025.
Before the Sept. 9 vote that increased the raise for emergency responders, a representative from Reedy Financial, the city’s financial consulting firm, explained that the 2025 budget revenue would be sufficient to cover the additional costs; however, “minor” revenue shortfalls could occur in 2026 and 2027.
The 2026 and 2027 budget forecasts include three percent raises for all city employees.
Moore asked Salem Police Chief Eric Mills if he would be willing to enact a hiring freeze during the two years of forecasted shortfalls if it is deemed necessary. Mills didn’t dismiss the possibility outright; however, he did say he would need to consider the impacts it might have.
Libka pointed out the dangers that emergency responders face.
“There’s always a chance that something bad is going to happen,” Libka said, adding that the city’s civilian employees needed to be considered, as well.
Pennington said the city’s starting salaries aren’t as low as they may seem when you consider paid holidays, retirement pensions, and clothing allowances.
Libka made the motion to increase the emergency responder pay raises to $7,000 and to give all civilian employees an eight percent raise in 2025 provided the budget can accommodate those increases. His motion was then approved in the majority vote.
During the special meetings, officials also approved a $2,000 stipend for police and fire personnel and a $1,500 stipend for all other city employees for this year; however, the payment of those stipends is contingent upon whether Clerk-Treasurer Sally Hattabaugh can find the funds in the current year’s budget to cover them. As of Monday, Sept. 16, Hattabaugh had yet to find the funding for those stipends.