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CITY HALL SALARIES Medford police, fire chiefs get raises Two councilors vote against salary hikes Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 15, 2015 at 6:14 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 15, 2015 at 6:14 PM » Social News Despite some objections, Medford City Council approved raises for police and fire chiefs on Thursday that will coincide with raises for other police and fire personnel. “I’m not going to be supportive of this,” Councilor Dick Gordon said, casting a “no” vote along with Councilor Kevin Stine. Gordon said the city will face a very tight budget next fiscal year and should find ways to control spending. The council, which will have a second reading of the ordinance on Feb. 5, approved a 7.5-percent increase for Police Chief Tim George and a 5-percent raise for Fire Chief Brian Fish. George’s base salary increases from $115,104 to $124,397, retroactive to July 2014, and Fish’s salary increases from $108,732 to $114,169, retroactive to August 2014, when he was appointed chief. City Manager Eric Swanson is scheduled to approve a 5-percent raise for police sergeants, lieutenants and deputy chiefs as well as fire battalion and deputy chiefs, retroactive to July 2014. Supervisory employees also received a 2.5-percent cost-of-living increase last July. Mike Snyder, the city’s human resource director, said the current difference in salaries between the fire and police chiefs and their deputy chiefs was about 7 percent. Other jurisdictions in the Pacific Northwest have an average of 15 percent differences between the chiefs and their next in command, Snyder said. In Medford, union increases for fire and police have been gaining on management-level positions, Snyder said. As a result, a battalion chief makes only a half percent more than a fire captain. As a result, the city said, some workers have been reluctant to seek promotions for a job that will require greater responsibility but only a small increase in pay, Snyder said. The proposed salary increases would cost the police department about $92,000 this year and the fire department about $38,200. Councilor Chris Corcoran voted for the hikes, but said the city has to find some way of curbing salary increases. “We are on an unsustainable path,” he said. Councilor Daniel Bunn said, “It’s tough for me to pass out pay raises in a fiscally tight environment.” Bunn said that despite his objections, he felt the pay raises were justified. Bill Robertson, who is on the Fire District No. 5 board, said firefighter pay has generally outpaced the cost of living, and he urged the council to hold the line on giving raises. “It looks like a train wreck coming to me,” he said. He said inflation has increased 85 percent from 1990 to 2013, but salaries in Fire District 5 have jumped 145 percent. Considering the type of service firefighters offer the community, Robertson said, he understood that it’s difficult to reject raises. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm. By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 15, 2015 at 6:14 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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