Mayor vetoes resolutions for bonuses, raises
Two resolutions sponsored by Council Member Ivan Whitfield that would provide raises for city employees were quickly followed by a veto from Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington a few days later.
During the last Pine Bluff City Council meeting, council members voted 5-3 to increase the hourly pay for part-time police officers to $22.50 effective immediately, according to the resolution. Council Members Steven Shaner, Bruce Lockett and Glen Brown Jr. voted against the measure.
They also voted against Whitfield’s second resolution to give bonuses to all city employees by Dec. 23.
According to the resolution, each full-time employee would receive a bonus of $1,000 and each part-time employee would receive a bonus of $500.
In a Dec. 8 letter from Washington that went out to all the city council members, she stated she was vetoing the resolution increasing the hourly payment for parttime police officers.
“Raising the part-time salary for police officers would result in part-time officers earning more than full-time officers starting with the department,” said Washington. “This can negatively impact the recruitment of full-time officers.”
Washington said further assessment would be needed by the Pine Bluff police chief and Public Safety Committee.
“It’s a tragedy that she pulled a veto on something that would cost the police department nothing,” said Whitfield. “We would not have to put one extra dime in their budget to do that.”
Whitfield said this wasn’t his first time presenting these raises to city officials, and the money really became a need in his opinion after the death of Pine Bluff police officer Detective Kevin Collins. According to Whitfield, the police department has been short-staffed when it comes to officers on the streets.
Whitfield said he and former police chief Lloyd Franklin Sr. discussed increasing the part-time officers’ pay from $15 to $22.50 to get more officers to work at least part time to help get more officers on the street. The increase would come from the department’s personnel budget.
“About three or four weeks ago, I got a call that there were only two police officers on duty on the graveyard shift,” said Whitfield. “We will be held accountable if we are not taking care of the needs of the citizens.”
When asked if he had consulted with the current chief of police, Denise Richardson, before presenting the resolution, he said he did reach out and that she had the same concern as the mayor.
Whitfield said he is waiting on the requested work schedule of the officers to see how many are on duty after dark, adding that he wants the city to be proactive instead of reactive.
“Grocery stores are paying security guards $17 and $18 and we pay our part-time officers $15 an hour with no benefits,” he said. “No chief would turn down the opportunity for their officers to make more money. Public safety is still the No. 1 thing that we must deal with in
our community.”
The second resolution vetoed by Washington, directing the payment of a bonus to all city employees, came as a “slap in the employees’ face,” according to Whitfield.
“Sometimes we get in position because we have it made, we have our cars and big houses, but many of our employees live paycheck to paycheck,” said Whitfield. “They need that bonus to provide their household a better Christmas.”
Washington stated in her veto letter that in the 2022 budget, all non-uniformed employee salaries were adjusted to align with the Johansen Salary Schedule, which included longevity pay that would increase employees’ salaries on their 10th, 20th and 28th anniversaries.
“During the 2022 budget hearings, I along with department heads and city council members proposed a 2% cost of living increase for all employees in the 2023 budget,” said Washington. “It was also proposed to adjust salaries for uniformed employees in accordance with the Johansen Salary Schedule.”
Washington said the projected costs for the uniform salary adjustments would be significant because of the large number of uniform employees who have been employed with the city for a substantial period of time, adding that giving bonuses and raises at this time would be fiscally irresponsible.
Whitfield took exception, saying the money for the bonuses would come from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“These are the same funds she is using to tear the school down for $675,000,” said Whitfield. “There was enough money left to give the employees their bonus, but there is also $1.3 million she has to come up with to bring in dirt so she may be trying to save that money for that.”
Whitfield said he feels it is irresponsible to put projects over people, adding that the mayor’s veto is putting council members in a tough situation. Whitfield admitted he knew the mayor was against his resolutions because they had a private conversation.
“She told me she was against the bonus and she was going to call all the council members and tell them she was against it but it would be our decision,” said Whitfield. “Five council members voted for it.”
Whitfield said that following the veto, the city has received several phone calls from city employees.
“I suggested that they call the aldermen who voted against it and call the mayor,” said Whitfield. “It’s very damaging to our employees what we did. We got to put our people before the project. I am bothered by that.”
It will take six city council members to override the mayor’s veto.
Whitfield also noted that even though the raises mentioned by the mayor have been proposed, the 2023 budget has not been passed by the city council yet and two attempts to have a meeting before the year end have failed.