Give all a raise

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October 10, 2007

Anonymous The Cullman Times Wed Oct 10, 2007, 08:00 PM CDT

Cullman’s police officers make a good point when they say they’re underpaid.

We agree. Working on a police force is a difficult, stressful and potentially dangerous job, and we believe police officers need to be reasonably compensated for the risks they take and the vital role they serve in protecting Cullman’s citizens.

But they aren’t the only ones who tackle a tough-but-rewarding job with low pay. Teachers fall into the same category. So do social workers and journalists (we have to throw ourselves into the mix, don’t we?)

Cullman’s police officers are asking for an extra $2 per hour, which would be a raise of well over 10 percent for many entry level officers. That’s quite a hike.

While we wish Cullman could pay its police officers a lot more than they do — indeed, no amount would be enough to compensate them for the risks they take and the heartache their families might experience after a tragedy — but we also think the city needs to take a big-picture approach. That means giving all city employees a fair cost-of-living raise.

Cullman’s payroll pie is only so big. If the city were to give the officers the payday they want, that would leave them with two choices: either give other city employees little or no raise in 2008, or hike local taxes to pay for it. Neither option is palatable.

Mayor Donald Green has proposed giving all city employees a raise between 4.5 and 6.5 percent for 2008. That’s a fair amount. Employees’ wages would increase faster than inflation, giving them a modest but important boost in each paycheck.

Make no mistake, the police department is not the only one that deserves more money. There are dedicated, talented and hard-working people in every city department, all of whom deserve to maintain their standard of living. Giving police a bigger raise than everyone else would send the message that other departments aren’t as valuable. Every department serves an important and necessary function, from the water supply to the sanitation workers.

We want Cullman’s police force to be paid fairly, and judging from a 2006 study conducted in Hartselle, they are. The study found the average compensation for police officers across North Alabama in the low, middle and high ends of the pay scale. Cullman paid above average at all three levels. While the numbers may have changed some since then, Cullman’s police force likely still pays a reasonable amount for small-town patrol officers.

Cullman’s officers are absolutely right when they say they deserve more pay. We just think other city employees deserve meaningful raises, too.

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