2018-042 Amending Section 26-1 Composition of Police Department and Section 26-9 Seniority Pay

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ORDINANCE NO. 2018-042 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, AMENDING SECTION 26-1, "COMPOSITION OF DEPARTMENT," AND SECTION 26-9, "SENIORITY PAY," OF CHAPTER 26, "POLICE," OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; PROVIDING A REPEALER CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the employment of police officers in the City of Paris is governed by Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code which authorizes and governs dealing with Civil Service employment; and, WHEREAS, Section 143.021 of said Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code states that that the Civil Service Commission shall provide for the classification of all fire fighters and police officers and the municipal governing body shall establish the classifications of police officers by ordinance; and, WHEREAS, the City of Paris has established the classifications of police officers in Chapter 26 of the Code of Ordinances; and, WHEREAS, with the retirement of three (3) Lieutenants, it is in the best interest of the efficient operations and use of resources of the Paris Police Department (the "Department") to reduce the total number of Lieutenant positions from seven (7) to six (6) and to increase the total number of Police Officer positions from forty (40) to forty-one (41), which is consistent with the strategic plan of the Department; and WHEREAS, Section 143.041 of the Local Government Code further authorizes the governing body of a municipality to provide additional compensation to police officers based on longevity and/or seniority; and WHEREAS, the Department continues to face challenges in officer recruitment and retention; and WHEREAS, the City Council has approved seniority pay to allow an officer to attain the maximum seniority pay at eleven (11) years' service rather than at twenty (20) years' service as is currently provided for by Sec. 26-9 of the Code of Ordinances in order to assist the Department's efforts to recruit and retain officers; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Paris approved a budget for FY 2018-2019 which included seniority pay for police officers employed by the City of Paris, Texas. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS: Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this ordinance are hereby