Energy Efficient West Virginia policy director Emmett Pepper speaks at a West Virginians for Energy Freedom news conference to promote ratepayer protections in the Governor’s Cabinet Conference Room of the West Virginia Capitol on Feb. 26, 2026.
Monday night, the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä City Council voted to approve its $113.6 million budget for the fiscal year starting on July 1.
Ward 11 Councilmember Shannon Snodgrass brought forth an amendment to change police officer pay raises with $32,000 of the more than $3 million budgeted for overtime.
In the city budget, all employees, including police officers, will receive a 50-cent raise.
Additionally, new police pay bumps were introduced. Officers hired before 2011, who are on the city’s legacy pension plan, will get a 50-cent pay raise at year 18 in addition to their annual pay raise. Officers hired in 2011 or later, will get a 75-cent pay raise at year four in addition to their annual pay raise.
According to ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Police Chief Scott Dempsey, the legacy retirement plan is “slightly better†than the plan for newer employees. However, newer employees have other benefits, he said, such as being able to take their pension with them to other departments.
These milestone pay raises will raise the annual pay increase for officers who have worked between four and 15 years by 75 cents and for officers who have worked 18 years or longer by 50 cents.
This year, the milestone pay raises cost $221,000. The city plans to phase in other pay increases for every four years an officer works.
Councilmember Shannon Snodgrass listens during the State of the City address in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä City Hall in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Jan. 5, 2026.
LAURA BILSON | Gazette-Mail file photo
Snodgrass said she wanted to make the pay increase for officers hired before 2011 75 cents, as well, “to make this raise equitable in their eyes.â€
“I’m embarrassed to say that I’m asking for a quarter for our law enforcement,†she said during the meeting. “But I think it’s important that we start there, and I’m hoping that there's much more discussion with getting us in the market.â€
Snodgrass has been asking for increased pay for police officers in general to help with recruiting, as the city is 20 officers short of the 173 officers allowed in the budget.
Dempsey said he plans to hire seven more officers by the end of the month.
Energy Efficient West Virginia policy director Emmett Pepper speaks at a West Virginians for Energy Freedom news conference to promote ratepayer protections in the Governor’s Cabinet Conference Room of the West Virginia Capitol on Feb. 26, 2026.
At-large Councilmember Emmett Pepper called for a vote to end debate before the merits of the amendment could be debated. In a statement Monday, Pepper said that the “last-minute push to tinker with the budget†was to “get attention through divisiveness and conflict.â€
“I wanted to focus our time and attention on the budget, instead of what appeared to me to be more political theater,†he said.
Only six councilmembers voted to continue debate:
Ward 5 Councilmember Jeanine Faegre
Ward 12 Councilmember Joseph Jenkins
Ward 7 Councilmember Beth Kerns
Snodgrass
At-large Councilmember Joe Solomon
Ward 10 Councilmember Chelsea Steelhammer
Nine councilmembers voted for the amendment:
Ward 6 Councilmember Michael Ferrell
Ward 16 Councilmember John Gianola
Jenkins
Kerns
Ward 3 Councilmember Chuck Overstreet
Ward 14 Councilmember Patrick Salango
Snodgrass
Solomon
Steelhammer
Ward 18 Councilmember Pam Burka was absent.
The budget passed with Kerns and Snodgrass voting against due to the amended pay raise not passing.
Dempsey said that his department would “take anything we can get†in the form of raises, but he said that he’s been working on the budget for months now.
“I think at this time that was all the budget would allow with the raises that were proposed,†he said. “So I'm very happy for our guys that they're at least getting something. I think this is a very good start for budget talks in the future so that we can try to ask for more money, more incentives, more benefits for our officers.â€
Dempsey said he was not seeing low morale because of the difference in pay raises.
“Our really big need right now was to keep the ones who we've just hired,†he said. “We don't want them going off to other departments.â€
Other actions
Council members also approved:
An alley space lease for a compressed gas tank for Ursus Brew Works, 207 Hale St.
Moving a 15-minute parking zone on Hunters Ridge Road
$3,925 for a letter of credit required by insurance
$13,778 for a warranty for grant-funded in-car cameras for CPD
$45,200 for a pickup truck for the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Fire Department
$43,903 for 12 sets of firefighter gear
$43,603 of a trust fund set aside for the Carriage Trail for a new pickup truck to care of the park
A new billing charge for when CFD paramedics ride with other ambulance services
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