By The Associated Press
MACON, Ga. (AP) -- Bonuses for city police officers and firefighters are being reviewed because critics say too many officers get them every year.
Macon spends about $750,000 a year on “incentive pay” for police and fire department workers, mostly for having a long tenure or getting a college degree. But some city officials say the bonus system doles out money to people year after year and should be replaced.
“Any reasonably minded person would agree that there should be some maintenance requirements in order to keep that level of compensation,” said Councilman Jim Lee.
About 450 employees get the bonuses, which range from $500 to $2,000. Some starting officers and firefighters in Macon earn less than $27,000 in base pay. The bonuses were created so that Macon could compete with better-paying cities. In DeKalb County, for example, officers can start as high as $34,000.
The Macon bonus plan was started in 1980. A council committee will meet in coming months to consider a new incentive plan, with a proposal expected by March.
Police Chief Rodney Monroe said he’s willing to take a new look at the bonus plan, but that people who were promised extra money for a college degree shouldn’t lose the bonus now.
“I don’t want to take anything from anybody that was earned through the process that was enforced in the past. I hope any changes would be for new people coming in and that we could put the people in now under a grandfather clause,” Monroe said.
The police and fire departments need to retain some sort of bonus system, Monroe said, adding that potential recruits like to “shop around to see who offers the best deals.”
Macon Councilman Stebin Horne said there needs to be a way to attract top recruits without handing out perpetual bonuses.
“Right now, once the incentive is achieved, the people who have it don’t have to do anything else to keep going after it,” Horne said.