The Murfreesboro City Council voted on Thursday, July 25, 2024, to approve pay adjustments for public safety employees as part of the FY25 Budget. Mayor Shane McFarland expressed the Council’s commitment to supporting public safety employees, including police officers, fire and rescue personnel, and the dispatch team, emphasizing their role in maintaining the city’s safety and livability. McFarland highlighted that the pay adjustments were achieved without increasing revenue, thanks to the efforts of the Council and city staff.
City administrators managed to secure a net savings of $4.1 million, which facilitated the necessary payroll adjustments. These savings were achieved through projected increases in sales tax and business tax revenues and by lowering budgeted expense items. Consequently, the city’s FY25 budget remains balanced.
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Public safety leadership requested that staff survey neighboring Middle Tennessee cities to compare Murfreesboro’s police pay plan to those of peer cities. The survey results indicated that the police pay plan should be adjusted by 2.5-7.5 percent to better attract and recruit officers. Similarly, adjustments of 11.5-13.5 percent were recommended for the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue pay plan to retain firefighters, particularly those undergoing Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic training.
As a result, the recommended pay increase for the Fire Rescue Department amounted to approximately $2.41 million, while the Police Department’s increase was around $1.67 million. Fire Chief Mark McCluskey noted that other cities were recruiting Murfreesboro firefighters, attracted by the city’s comprehensive training program.
During the Council meeting, City Human Resources Director Randolph Wilkerson proposed various retention strategies, such as upfront sick and vacation days, educating employees on different retirement plans, educational incentive pay, longevity pay, and specialized training. Some employees currently benefit from 401K and 457K plans but lack a defined pension like other long-term employees.
The approved public safety pay adjustments for FY25 include the following changes:
**Firefighter Pay Plan Adjustments:**
– **Starting Annual Salary:**
– Entry Firefighter: New Pay Plan $56,883 (Existing $48,678, Increase $8,205)
– Certified Firefighter: New Pay Plan $58,305 (Existing $52,329, Increase $5,976)
– Firefighter AMT-B: New Pay Plan $59,763
– Firefighter AEMT: New Pay Plan $61,257 (Existing $53,637, Increase $7,620)
– Firefighter Paramedic: New Pay Plan $67,616 (Existing $54,978, Increase $12,638)
**Police Officer Pay Plan Adjustments:**
– **Starting Annual Salary:**
– Police Officer: New Pay Plan $65,625 (Existing $62,500, Increase $3,125)
– Sergeant: New Pay Plan $79,958 (Existing $76,150, Increase $3,808)
For more City news, visit www.Murfreesborotn.gov.
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