VIDEO: Fargo police officer and president of the city's police organization Mike Clower "absolutely" thinks action taken Monday night, May 20, to raise salaries for most police officers and firefighters in the city will help attract and retain employees.
Clower, interviewed after a 4-1 favorable Fargo City Commission meeting vote, said he believes officers will be "quite pleased" with the decision to increase step pay for workers in the two departments with increases starting in the second year and continuing until they reach a maximum salary after about eight years.
The increases affect about 172 police officers and 120 firefighters or about 30 percent of the city workforce. The raises will be retroactive to the beginning of the year.
In all, the increases this year will cost the city about $473,812 as the raises mostly boost pay instead of 2% to 3% per year to 5 to 6%.