ST. LOUIS, June 17 (STL.News) – The state-appointed St. Louis City Police Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 4 p.m. at police headquarters to consider a controversial proposal to provide significant pay increases to police command staff. This session was moved from the typical 9 a.m. slot to provide the public an opportunity to weigh in on the plan.
The proposal includes pay hikes for 56 senior department members, including lieutenants, captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels. The requested increases range from 16% for lieutenants up to 22% for lieutenant colonels. If the board approves the motion, the new salary metrics would take effect on July 1. While this specific command staff proposal was tabled two weeks ago, the board has already approved a 4% wage increase for approximately 500 professional civilian employees.
The $2.3 million plan has sparked a political divide between City Hall and the police board. Mayor Cara Spencer, a member of the board, has been vocal about her opposition to the process. She previously noted that the city was given only 36 hours of notice to evaluate the plan, which she argued created chaos for the municipal budget process.
A primary point of contention involves the city charter, which requires parity between police and fire command staff. If the board approves the police raises, the city must also provide identical increases to fire department leadership. Mayor Spencer warned that this mandate forces unbudgeted cuts to other municipal services.
“The city was not given enough time to consider its impact on the city budget,” Spencer stated regarding the proposal.
Police Board President Chris Saracino and Police Chief Robert Tracy have defended the necessity of the raises. According to the department, the increases are intended to address salary compression, a situation where lower-ranking sergeants earn more than the lieutenants who supervise them due to previous collective bargaining agreements. Leadership maintains that these adjustments are essential for the department to remain competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.
The debate also touches on the use of city reserves. St. Louis currently holds funds from a $790 million settlement regarding the relocation of the Rams football team. The police board has viewed these reserves as a potential source for public safety investment, while other city officials argue that the funds should be prioritized for long-term infrastructure projects rather than operational payroll increases.
