$1M for St. Louis Fire Officers' Raises Came from Cops' Budget

ST. LOUIS — Top city officials on Thursday cut $1 million out of the police budget to cover firefighter raises.

Mayor Cara Spencer said the city had no choice.

When the state-run Board of Police Commissioners on Wednesday boosted pay for police brass, it tripped a provision in the city charter mandating police and firefighters of similar rank receive equal pay.

The change to the police department legal fund, plus a trim to the fire department's vehicle budget, will cover the estimated $1.4 million cost of the firefighter pay increases.

With the city's fiscal year beginning July 1 and the budget largely finalized, other funding options were limited, Spencer said.

"We had to scramble to find the money," Spencer said.

The police department said Thursday it was not consulted on the change, describing it as part of a pattern in its dealings with City Hall.

“We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to address public safety challenges facing St. Louis,” the department said in a statement sent by spokesman Mitch McCoy.

It was the latest back-and-forth in a monthslong fight between City Hall and the police board, which state lawmakers restored last year after a dozen years of local control. The dispute touched off in January with raises for rank-and-file officers and sergeants, over Spencer's objections, upending plans for smaller, broader raises across the city workforce. In April and May, the two sides sued each other arguing over how much money the takeover law requires the city to budget for the department each year.

The dispute over command staff raises began earlier this month, when the Police Board caught City Hall off-guard with a proposal for raises of 16% for lieutenants, 18% for captains, 20% for majors and 22% for lieutenant colonels, all starting July 1.

Police Chief Robert Tracy said the raises were badly needed to keep top talent in a department that has lost hundreds of officers in recent years and struggled to replace them. Together with 4% raises for civilian employees, police officials estimated the package at $2.3 million annually and said the department could absorb it within its existing budget.

Spencer blasted the decision as irresponsible given the effect on the firefighter budget, and said the board was putting other city services at risk.

On Thursday, at a meeting of the city's Estimate Board, Spencer, Comptroller Donna Baringer and Aldermanic President Megan Green voted to cut the $1 million from the police legal fund plus $440,000 from the fire department's $2.6 million fleet budget.

City Budget Director Paul Payne said the police board recently moved $5 million from its current budget into a reserve for paying out future liabilities. He said that indicated the police board didn't need the $1 million.

He also said the fire department cut was not tied to any specific planned purchase.

Green warned that the cuts made Thursday were one-time fixes only.

“This will not be sustainable long-term if year after year, the police board is coming back to us with raises of this magnitude,” she said. “It will impact all of these other city departments and salaries for city workers.”

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