KEN KREFFT
Contributing Columnist
Many police officers and firefighters have been leaving their employment with the city of Shreveport for higher-paying jobs. Quite a few have left for positions in northwest Louisiana jurisdictions. Fewer have left our immediate area. This is
intended to offer choices by which the first responders in SPD/SFD might obtain badly needed, and well deserved, salary hikes. Each department has too many vacancies.
First, a 17.4% jump in Shreveport’s sales tax receipts for 2021 over 2020 through midyear represents more than a $10.5 million increase. All of this gets deposited into the city’s general fund from which police and fire get paid, including retirement and health-care costs. There is a flip side to so many vacant positions – i.e., no salary debits are made for a vacant position. The combination of a huge credit increase and far fewer expenditure salary debits reflects that there’s sufficient funding to give all our first responders 10% more on their well-earned paychecks. Such could be done by the action of the city council after it is proposed by the mayor.
Second, if it is legal, the payroll deductions for retirement and health care could be paid by the city. True, this is not a pay bump. It would, however, mean no more paycheck deductions for such items, yielding more take home pay.
Third, should this administration and this city council be unwilling to implement either of the above suggestions, an increase in property tax could be done. I think it is a last resort, less palatable than either idea shown above. A mill generates about $1.5 million in property tax revenues annually. About 3.8 new mills are required to bring in a 10% increase in SPD/SFD pay. This least desirable way must first obtain a citywide approval from the voters. An election, however, is not required for the two ideas above.
To decry this ongoing loss of trained police officers and firefighters is one thing. Until and unless strong actions are undertaken very soon, I just do not care to hear any remarks by our elected officials about the low pay of our brave police officers and firefighters. We must act now.