Anchorage's top police and fire executives may soon get pay raises, with the administration of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz saying it's too difficult to fill the positions when a promotion means a pay cut from a lower-ranking job.
An ordinance to be introduced to the Anchorage Assembly next week would pave the way to raises for chiefs and deputy chiefs in the Anchorage Police and Fire departments.
City Manager Mike Abbott said a police lieutenant's promotion to deputy chief currently means a $25,000 pay cut. He said the disparities are leading to gaps in leadership, particularly at the police department.
"It is, not surprisingly, difficult to recruit for these kinds of positions, if we ask people to take that kind of a pay cut," Abbott said.
In 2016, citing recruitment issues and pay disparities with union police and firefighters, the Berkowitz administration raised pay for senior-level officers and firefighters, but not the chiefs and deputy chiefs.
Right now, police and fire chiefs can make up to about $137,000 in salary. Deputies can make up to about $121,500. The ordinance would allow those salaries to rise between 5 and 10 percent.
It isn't clear from the ordinance what the new salaries would be, and the raises aren't automatic. Abbott said the ordinance would set a new upper limit for salaries, but it's up to Berkowitz to set the amount.
"This doesn't require the mayor to change anyone's salary," Abbott said.
The ordinance authorizes up to a $76,000 budget increase for the police department and a $49,000 budget increase for the fire department to pay for the raises, according to documents submitted to the Assembly.
The plan makes police and fire chiefs and deputy chiefs eligible to be paid 5 percent more than the commanders directly below in rank.
The police department has two acting deputy chiefs who left their roles as captains, Abbott said. One of the positions has been vacant for more than a year.
"Right now, we are basically short two leaders at the police department," Abbott said.
The Assembly voted 8-3 in May 2016 to raise the salaries for police and fire commanders, who rank just below the chiefs and deputy chiefs. The raises amounted to $840,000 overall.
At the time, Assembly member Amy Demboski questioned whether the raises were too much too fast, with the city facing a steep budget deficit.
Abbott said the expense is warranted to more effectively recruit within the department.
"Assuming that we want to be able to pick from among the best candidates available from inside the departments, we're going to have to make sure those candidates would not take a pay cut in order to assume additional responsibility," Abbott said.