The Jefferson City Council recently made some progress in addressing the retention issues with the police department.

The Council unanimously approved a motion to direct City staff to immediately open the union contract and begin negotiations to address the pay scale of the police department. Council member Harry Ahrenholtz noted at Tuesday night’s regular meeting that the base pay levels for the officers in the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Iowa Council 61 Local 3949 contract were the cause for turnovers and the current five-year contract is due to expire June 30, 2021. 

City Administrator Mike Palmer talks about how the City’s union works with each department.

“They represent all of our non-salary employees in the City. That’s one of the catches that makes it difficult, we need to re-open the contract to address all wages rather than just one specific department. And that’s what the City Council wants to see done is to make it equitable for everybody.”

Ahrenholtz outlined the different solutions that the Council has tried in the past including a sign-on bonus of $2,000 and a college debt repayment program for new hires, along with the department obtaining grants and donations from the community. He pointed out the department has seen a 55-percent growth in the budget over the past five years, going from $540,000 to $800,000. 

Currently under the contract, the police department has different stipulations compared to the rest of the city employees, including pay scale, sick leave, family leave, among others. A new officer hire starts at $43,618, and then after the officer becomes a fully certified officer from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, their pay increases to $44,821. An officer tops out of the pay scale after ten years and can make  $51,959.

Police Chief Mark Clouse shares his thoughts following the Council’s decision.

“Obviously I’m happy. I’m happy for the residents of Jefferson that some steps are being made to ensure that we will have a police department in Jefferson. I have never been one to say that the Council has not helped in the past. Unfortunately we’re just heading in a bad way with the national crisis in law enforcement hiring.”

Palmer adds the Council would like to implement any changes to the union contract before the current one expires.