SULTAN — The city plans to create a new pay range for its police chief, a move that city officials hope will lure a quality candidate.
The City Council on Thursday directed staff to start looking for a permanent police chief and advertise a salary range of $6,225 to $7,006 per month, city administrator Deborah Knight said. The city now pays a flat rate of $6,225 per month for the position.
“If we don’t do this, we don’t think we can recruit and retain a quality police chief,” Knight said Friday.
The city plans to hire a new chief by the end of this year, Knight said.
Meanwhile, interim police chief Larry Marshall has replaced former Police Chief Fred Walser, whose resignation took effect in August despite his attempt to rescind it.
Marshall, who has worked for the city’s police department since April 2004, and four other officers are now patrolling the city of about 4,500 people.
The city has reduced the police force from six officers and a chief to four officers and a chief as part of its effort to deal with a projected budget shortfall.
The city’s $2.2 million general fund is expected to fall about $450,000 short this year. The general fund pays for basic services including police.
The budget shortfall has surfaced partly because of unexpected bills that the city is paying for two investigations at the police department, according to city officials.
One investigation involved alleged misuse of a city computer by Caroline Pepperell, a police department employee. The Washington State Patrol handled that case and found that Pepperell acted improperly when she looked up information about an acquaintance.
The city fired Pepperell on Sept. 5. She plans to appeal the decision to the city’s civil service commission.
The other investigation involves allegations that Walser withheld information from the city attorney related to the computer misuse investigation. The Everett Police Department’s internal affairs unit is handling that investigation.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
