Staff writer
Part-time Hillsboro police officers will get a $2 hourly pay raise as city council sought a solution Monday to fill two vacant positions.
City administrator Larry Paine presented a request from Police Chief Dan Kinning asking for the wage increase.
Paine said it was Kinning’s belief that raising part-time officer wages from $12 to $14 an hour would help him to fill two vacant positions. The department has four part-time officers.
“Primarily what he uses these people for is to fill in for regular officers who are either on vacation or sick leave, or are otherwise not available,” Paine said. “It is a significant difference in pricing in cost per hour when he does that.”
Paine said that roughly 1000 hours were budgeted for part-time officers.
“I think he has not gone over that budget,” Paine said.
Mayor Delores Dalke asked if all part-time workers made the same amount or if compensation varied with how long they have been employed. Paine replied that it was all the same.
“It seems reasonable,” council member Bob Watson said.
The pay hike was approved.
In other business:
- Byron McCarty and Brent Driggers were sworn in as re-elected council members.
- Brent Driggers was selected by members to replace David Loewen as council president for the upcoming year. Loewen will replace Watson chairman of the public building commission.
- Robert Herzet approached the council with a concern about the amount charged for sewer usage between the months of December and March. He also registered complaints about noise he alleged were coming from rental properties in the 300 block of N. Jefferson St.