MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – During the first city council meeting of 2018, council members approved a plan to better retain and recruit officers by paying them more. But the city has not formally decided how to pay for it, and it could mean an increase in taxes.
Under what the city calls a “step” program, officers would get a salary increase each year they are with the department for up to ten years. Certified officers who stay with the department that long can expect a minimum salary increase of 45%.
The city can cover the pay increase for the rest of this year, but after that they are not really sure how to pay for it. The favored option is to increase property taxes, but council has not formally voted to do that. New mayor Brenda Bethune said Tuesday she hopes the city can also look at other options.
“I don’t think that we can afford not to do it,” she said. “Our public safety has to be our number one issue. However as mayor, as part of council, I think that we are charged with looking at other alternatives to fund that plan.”
She went on to say that the city should look at its own budget and talk to state legislators. “I’ll have to get with Mr. Shelton and Mr. Pederson and find out what areas we can look into.”
Newly-elected council member Gregg Smith also said the city should explore other options. “We know it will take approximately three mills worth of money,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we necessarily have to raise taxes by three mills. We have to find that money somewhere else to pay police at least what they deserve.”
Officials say all city staff will receive a 1.75 percent salary increase, and will then be eligible for an additional pay hike, up to five percent, based on performance. The police department employees will follow that same 1.75 percent increase, plus a 3 percent merit increase, which is an average of what other city staff receives, officials say. With the step pay plan, officers then receive a third pay raise, noted as a “market rate salary adjustment” of five percent.
The additional five percent raise is only available to sworn police officers, detention officers, and telecommunication officers. The police department’s administrative and non-sworn staff are not eligible for the market rate hike.
In addition, the city plans to increase the starting salary for incoming officers. Effective January 12, uncertified officers will begin at $40,000, an increase from $36,245. Certified officers will earn $44,000 upon graduation from the SC Criminal Justice Academy, which is a hike from $39,706. The first class officers’ beginning salary will climb to $46,000.
In his presentation in December, Pedersen said the city expects a three-mill tax increase, which means city residents’ tax bill will increase by 3.8 percent. Pedersen says the city’s budget for 2018-2019 will include the tax hike. For a $200,000 home, a 3.8% increase in property taxes is about $24.
The extra money will be seen in officers’ paychecks toward the end of January. The total cost of increasing officer salaries in the upcoming fiscal year is just under $1 million.
