Local News

Debating Chief’s Salary Range

Elkins City Council focuses on top city police position

ELKINS – In a 5-4 vote, Elkins City Council has approved increasing the advertised salary range for the open Elkins Police Chief position, despite concerns raised by several council members.

At their Nov. 5 meeting, five of the nine present council members voted in favor of an action item that would increase the advertised salary range for the Elkins Police Chief from the current range of $60,000 to $74,000 a year, to $70,000 to $80,000 a year. Third Ward Council member Erika Plishka was absent from the meeting.

Voting in favor of the action item were First Ward Council member Cody Kerns, Second Ward’s Lisa Severino, Fourth Ward’s Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Fourth Ward’s member Andrew Carroll and Fifth Ward’s Cody Thompson.

Voting against the measure were First Ward council member Robert Chenoweth, Second Ward’s Michael Hinchman, Third Ward’s Christopher Lowther and Fifth Ward’s Burley Woods.

According to the agenda item report attached to the action item, the advertised salary range for this position has been $60,000 to $74,000 a year, but that “has attracted few applicants.” The City of Elkins Human Resources proposed increasing the advertised range to $70,000 to $80,000 a year, however the council would establish the final salary “upon appointment of the successful candidate.”

The position has been open since July when the City of Elkins received the resignation of former Elkins Chief of Police Travis Bennett. On July 9, Council voted to "post a job description, approved by HR, for a new Chief of Police." During the council’s July 23 meeting, members voted to allow Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco to "directly exercise supervisory and administrative authority" over the Elkins Police Department until a new Chief of Police is appointed by the Council.

Thompson, who also leads the City’s Personnel Committee, explained further to the other council members that the original job posting, which had the salary listed as $60,000 to $74,000 a year, “received very little interest, only garnishing four applicants and one interview.

“Was not necessarily against that person, but feeling that we only had one applicant, we didn’t have a lot to go on,” Thompson said. “So we kind of revamped the post. We did have an internal applicant interview and, again, kind of the same situation, not that we’re against that person, but we feel pretty limited in what we can really use as a basis of who would be the best fit. Because this position, it’s a very important position and it includes a lot of, not just police work, but administrative work.”

Thompson explained the Personnel Committee requested the City’s Human Resource Generalist Sarah Campbell ask the initial applicants why they rescinded their applications. “Every single one of them” said the pay for the position was “not feasible.” Thompson said Council needed to “significantly” adjust the pay scale for the position in order to attract applicants.

Woods questioned how increasing the highest possible pay from $74,000 to $80,000, a $6,000 increase, was considered competitive.

“Do you think $500 a month is going to truly have a candidate to apply?” Woods asked. “…So $6,000, do you think we’re going to get this influx of candidates for $500 a month of what we maxed out?”

“Well, Burley, I’d love to pay them a lot more,” Thompson responded.

“I’m not saying if we go to $85 (thousand) that we have to pay them $85 (thousand), but if we’re not getting candidates at $74 (thousand) and the candidates that rescinded their offer are saying it’s not competitive, do you think $6,000 is going to be a competitive market, which is $500 a month?”

Thompson said they had to responsible fiscally and put the pay around the same range as the City’s other administrative officers, but he said he’d be happy to bring a new number range back to Council if the $70,000 to $80,000 range was also not considered feasible by possible applicants.

Lowther voiced a different concern with the new pay range, saying, “in good faith,” he could not keep supporting salary increases while the City’s hourly employees “have received nothing after being promised increases for two years.” Burley and Thompson both agreed with Lowther on that front.

“Trust me, I understand the importance of it, but going $70 to $80 thousand in hopes that we attract a worthy candidate for a position when there are employees that have been here for years and not making… we have employees that qualify for government assistance in today’s world,” Lowther said. “So I can stomach a $4 to $5 thousand increase, but I can’t stomach a $70 to $80 (thousand) range… Tonight I can’t support this.”

Lowther made note that he was not saying the City’s administrative positions were not worthy of high salaries, but, at some point, the City’s Finance and Personnel committees were going to have to have a meeting and start setting a cap on salary increases. He also said the City needs to acknowledge it has limited resources and cannot compete with the salaries of the major cities of North Central West Virginia. Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco remarked that the City of Elkins was not even competing with the salaries for the City of Buckhannon or the City of Grafton.

Thompson said the Personnel Committee completely agreed with Lowther and stated the pay of hourly employees was “a major priority” for the committee, especially now that the City’s HR Department was being worked on. However, Thompson stated, repeatedly, the fact of the matter was the City of Elkins needs a qualified police chief.

Burley questioned how many people did the City have to interview before they finally decided they found the right candidate. Kerns stated he didn’t believe the City was “kicking the can down the road” by wanting more applicants and interviews.

“We have used the word before for our previous chief (Bennett), that he was a unicorn… he had other income from retirements,” Kerns said. “We were very blessed to have him at that rate that he deserved more of. We have to think about offering someone more now. He deserved more years ago for that position.”

According to the agenda item report, Bennett’s salary was $63,560 at the time of his resignation. Bennett was Chief of Police for more than six years.

The Elkins City Council will meet again on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.