As they started work on the fiscal year 2021 budget, Tulsa’s mayor and city council agreed they need to continue putting money toward hiring cops and raising employee compensation.
Those were also goals for the current budget, but the city wasn’t able to make up as much ground as officials had hoped.
The city paid for additional police academies but needs about 90 more new officers to meet staffing levels recommended in a University of Cincinnati study. And a planned $10,000 increase to police starting pay turned into a 6% increase when police representatives said during collective bargaining sessions the larger hike would be unfair to veteran officers.
The first step in a planned two-year compensation adjustment goes into effect in January. Most civilian employees are in line for one step up the current city payscale, while workers in labor and trade positions will get an across-the-board 10% increase.
"What we tried to focus on is incremental progress year over year, not trying to do some giant, expensive, sweeping gesture because we just don’t have the financial wherewithal to do that. But if you stay focused and disciplined year over year, you can make progress," said Mayor G.T. Bynum.
The proposed second step in compensation adjustments would happen in January 2021. It would increase exempt employee payscales 1% and move them up one level, increase nonexempt employee payscales 6% and move them up one level, and move labor and trade workers up one level on their payscales.
It will likely be up to Bynum and councilors to find money for the second set of increases, however, as sales tax revenue growth hasn't been enough for even the first set.
"It’s been because I’ve asked our department leadership to reduce their overall expenses to cover pay increases for their employees, and they have responded," Bynum said.
When it comes to boosting police department staffing, the council and mayor generally agreed the closer they get to recommended staffing levels, the more officers will be free to interact with the communities they patrol rather than going from call to call, boosting public safety and trust in the department.
Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper said keeping up the recruiting drive is fine, but comprehensive community policing initiatives and civilian oversight through an independent monitor are also needed.
"I want to make sure those two steps are amplified and not just building community relations. Although it has its place, it is not what’s going to build trust in communities," Hall-Harper said.
Councilors and the mayor also agreed the FY21 budget must the prioritize neighborhood conditions, the city's destination districts program, transit access, commercial revitalization and addressing homelessness.
Bynum and the city council met Wednesday for their annual retreat, which kicks off budget planning for the coming year. The first draft of the city budget is expected in April.
