2023-004 - Amending Chapter 2, Article 2.10, Division 2, Section 2.10.033 Regarding Peace Officers’ TCOLE Certification Pay; Amending Section 2.10.34 Thereto Regarding Lateral Seniority PayORDINANCE NO. 2023-nL4
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS
AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE, 2.10, DIVISION 2, SECTION 2.10.033
REGARDING PEACE OFFICERS'TCOLE CERTIFICATION PAY; AMENDING
SECTION 2.10.034 THERETO REGARDING LATERAL SENIORITY PAY;
PROVIDING A REPEALER CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A
SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the Citizens of Paris to have and maintain a fully
staffed Police Department; and
WHEREAS, the Paris Police Department (the "Department") has experienced a
chronic and long-term staffing reduction; and is currently over 50% short in staffing of first-
line Patrol Officers; and
WHEREAS, the city invests thousands of dollars and many months in training new
officers to get them through a police academy and field training; and
WHEREAS, pay parity and reduced work load from regional and local law
enforcement agencies that do not sponsor new cadets for Basic Peace Officer Training
Academies are enticing these newly certified officers away from the Department; and
WHEREAS, recruiting efforts have proven insufficient to keep up with the rate of
depletion of Sworn Officers; and
WHEREAS, The majority of Paris Police Officers who are heavily recruited by other
local and regional law enforcement agencies and resign have less than 5 years' experience
and are on the lower end of the pay scale; and
WHEREAS, currently there is no monetary compensation for a Basic Peace Officer
Certification, which can be earned by an officer after one year of service; and
WHEREAS, the Department has difficulty recruiting experienced officers because
under the current pay structure, such officers are not compensated commensurately with
their years of experience; and
WHEREAS, authorizing the placement of newly hired experienced officers at a
seniority level equivalent to their years of experience will aid in the recruitment of such
experienced officers, and the costs associated therewith will be offset by fact that such
officers will not require basic police officer training (police academy) and their field training
periods are shorter; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that it is in the best interest of the citizens of Paris
to modify the existing Certificate Pay Schedule for Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
(TCOLE) Certified Peace Officers, effective upon approval, by establishing a Basic Peace
Officer Stipend and by modestly increasing the amounts for the Intermediate, Advanced and
Master Peace Officer Certificates and to provide lateral seniority pay for experienced new
hires.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS,
TEXAS, THAT:
Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this ordinance are hereby in
all things approved and incorporated herein by reference.
Section 2. That Chapter 2, Article 2.10, Division 2, Section 2.10.033, "Certification
Pay," is hereby amended to read as follows:
"§ 2.10.033 Certification pay.
(a) Members of the police department shall be entitled to receive certification pay,
as permitted in Local Government Code, sections 143.041 and 143.044, as amended,
as follows:
(1) Basic certification: $125.00 inter -mediate eer- ifie.,,ian! $50.00 per pay period.
(2) °zed Intermediate certification: $150.00 75.00 per pay period.
(3) Advanced "'�^�Tcertification: $175.00 $92.30 per pay period.
(4) Master certification: $200.00 per pay period.
(b) The certification pay provided by this section shall be in addition to the regular
pay received by the member or members of the police department qualifying for the
same."
Section 3. That Chapter 2, Article 2.10, Division 2, Section 2.10.033, "Seniority Pay,"
shall be amended to read as follows:
§ 2.10.034 Seniority pay.
(a) Members of the police department below the rank of chief shall be entitled to receive
seniority pay, on the basis of time in service and rank achieved in the City of Paris
Police Department, said seniority pay to be in addition to each officer's base pay as
follows:
Years in Rank—Tiers
Tier 1: 2-3 years in rank
Tier 2: 4-5 years in rank
Tier 3: 6-7 years in rank
Tier 4: 8-9 years in rank
Tier 5: 10-11 years in rank
Tier 6: 12-13 years in rank
Tier 7: 14+ years in rank
Bi -Weekly Seniority Pay
$47.89
$95.79
$143.68
$191.58
$239.47
$287.37
$335.26
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(G) Captains with six (6) yeaFs or- meFe of service and less than eight (8) yeaFs of ser-vice�
Fefly_nine dollars -„-..l 84 cents ($49.84) r payper„!l
(D) Captains with eight yeaFs (8) years OF more of service and less than ten (10) yeafs of
sed' ice: Sixty six dollar -s .,n.1 n C cents ($66.4 5)per-payperiod.
(E) Captains with ten years (10) yeaFs or- mor -e of ser-viee and less than twelve (12) years
of seFviee! Eighty three dollars and 6 cents ($83.06)per-payperiod.
(F) Captainswith twelve years (12) years or- fneFe of service and less than ten (14) years
of ser-yiee: Ninety nine ,tell ,,.-1 68 cents ($99.68)per-paypeFied.
(G) Captains with four -teen (14) years or- more of serwiee� One hundFed sixteen dollaFs and
79 cents ($116.29) per- pay period.
training off4cer-s, seniority pay shall be added to each assistant chief and tr- i i g
efficer-'s base pay, based on the following sehedule of years in ser-viee to the city police
de rtfn „t.
(A) Assistant ehiefs/tFaining off4cer-s with two (2) years or- mor -e of service and less than
four- (4) years of service: Sixteen dollaFs and 61 cents ($16.61) pef pay period.
(B) Assistant ehiefs/tr-aining officer -s with four- (4) years or- more of service and less than
six (6) years of service: Thirty three dollars and 23 cents ($33.23) peF pay pefied.
(G) Assistant chiefs/tFaining officer -s with sim (6) years or- fnor-e of ser-viee and less than
eight (8) years of ice: For-t.>_.nine dollars -„n.-1 84 cents ($49.84) per- pay period.
(D) Assistant chiefs/field training off4cer-s with eight years (8) yeaFs or- fnor-e of service a
less than ten (10) years of ser-viee. Sixty six dollars and 45 cents ($66.45) peF pay
6--
(E) Assistant chiefs/field training offieer-s Nvith ten years (10) yeaf:s or- fner-e of service an
less than twelve (12) years of seizvice. Eighty three dollars and 6 cents ($83.06) per -
period.
(F) Assistant chiefs/field training off4eer-s with twelve years (12) years or more of seiwice
and less than ten (14) years of sei=vice: Ninety nine dollars and 68 eents ($99.6811wr
,
1�.l.
(G) Assistant chiefs/field training officer -s with four -teen (14) yeaFS of fnE)fe Of setwiCe:
hundred sixteen dollars and 70 cents ($116.29) per- pay period.
(b) Lateral Hires. After completion of their probationary period, newly hired Police Officers
below the rank of Sergeant who were certified peace officers prior to their date of hire
and have qualifying years of experience in a comparable law enforcement agency may
be placed on a Tier commensurate with their experience For the purposes of this
section an officer's "qualifying years of experience" shall be determined according to
guidelines adopted by the department.
(bc) The seniority pay provided by this section shall be in addition to the regular base pay
received by the member or members of the police department qualifying for same."
Section 4. That all provisions of the ordinances of the City of Paris, Texas in conflict
with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed, and all other provisions of the
ordinances of the City of Paris not in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance shall
remain in full force and effect.
Section S. That the repeal of any ordinance or part of ordinances affected by the
enactment of this ordinance shall not be construed as abandoning any action now pending
under or by virtue of such ordinance or as discontinuing, abating, modifying, or altering any
penalty accruing or to accrue, or as affecting any rights of the municipality under any section
or provisions of any ordinance at the time of passage of this ordinance.
Section 6. That it is the intention of the City Council of the City of Paris that this
ordinance and every provision hereof, shall be considered severable, and the invalidity or
partial invalidity of any section, clause, or provisions of this ordinance shall not affect the
validity of any other portion of this ordinance.
SECTION 7. This Ordinance shall be effective from and after its passage.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on this 13th day of February.
e H. Harris, City Attorney
R ld..R Hug esh Mayor Pr -Te