Collierville police and fire staff to get raises

Many Collierville police and fire personnel will receive pay raises under an annual budget that won final approval Monday evening from the town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

After brief discussion, the board voted 6-0 to approve a budget with upward adjustments in pay scales for firefighters as well as for police patrol officers, dispatchers and jailers. Sanitation drivers also will get a pay raise. Details of the new pay scales weren’t available Monday evening.

Collierville employees receive automatic increases for the first few years, but sometimes have to wait several more years after that to reach the top pay rate, critics have complained. For instance, Collierville police officers earn about $34,000 in the first year, then earn step increases until their salary reaches $50,000 in year five. After that, officers receive annual “merit” increases. Critics have said an employee might have to wait several more years to reach the maximum level of about $57,000.

Under the new pay scales, staffers would see their pay rise to the top level within five years of joining the government, said Town Administrator James Lewellen. That should make Collierville better able to compete for talent against other towns in the Memphis area that offer quicker raises to the top level, he said.

The new pay scales will apply both to new hires and existing employees. “Each employee will have a calculated pay increase based on years of service and where they are in the pay scale,” Lewellen said.

The new “step” pay increases for police and fire will cost about $337,000, bringing the total general fund budget to $56 million. An adjustment of about $30,000 in the sanitation fund budget will cover pay raises for sanitation drivers, Lewellen said.

The budget had already included “merit” raises of up to 4 percent for employees — the exact amount depends on the worker’s performance evaluation. Employees eligible for step increases would not be eligible for merit increases.

Alderman Tom Allen repeated his objections to two items in the budget: an allocation of $75,000 for a new position of tourism director and an allocation of $40,000 to cover startup costs for the Partners in Education Foundation, an effort to ensure that local schools are meeting the needs of businesses. Mayor Stan Joyner Jr. defended the items and Allen joined the others in voting for the budget.

Also Monday, the board voted on third and final reading to keep the town property tax rate at $1.78 per $100 of assessed value.

And members of the board debated at length over a complex agreement in which developer William Adair would reimburse the town part of its costs for expanding sewer lines to a section of southern Collierville by Holmes Road and Fleming Road that he wants to develop.

The board members ultimately decided to delay the proposed deal with Adair and hold a separate work session to discuss it.