THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 25, 1995 TAG: 9512210023
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
I am writing to correct erroneous information that appeared in a letter published Dec. 4 about pay increases for Virginia Beach police. The letter indicated that Beach police are receiving very low salary increases. In fact, every Virginia Beach police officer is eligible for a merit increase of 4.5 percent during fiscal year 1995-96 on the anniversary of his or her employment.
Furthermore, we increased the salary ranges of police positions by 10 percent, allowing those who had reached the top of their pay scale to realize additional increases. Those whose salaries fell below the minimum of the newly adjusted ranges received an additional increase up to 1.5 percent on July 1 for a total increase of up to 6 percent.
It was the city's desire to ensure competitive wages for all city employees, as well as police, that led to a pay system based on a market survey of cities of similar size. Although we have previously compared our salaries locally in Hampton Roads, it was the first year that we compared police salaries with other cities in the Southeastern United States. This system has made our salaries more competitive with those of other police departments and will allow us to maintain competitive wages in the future.
Currently, as in the past, a cross-section of employees, including representatives of the Police Department, are providing feedback and assisting in the development and implementation strategies for the market-based pay system. This replaces the ``old'' cost-of-living approach, which is being phased out of many public and private organizations. Our goal is to continue to provide a competitive pay structure that is fair to employees and to taxpayers.
FAGAN STACKHOUSE
Director
Human Resources Department
City of Virginia Beach, Dec. 8, 1995 by CNB