NATCHEZ — Pay raises for Natchez police officers are under consideration as the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen plan next year’s fiscal budget.

Natchez police officers have an entry-level pay rate of $13 per hour, whereas Vidalia policemen start at approximately $15 per hour, city officials said.

Natchez policemen also have a “step-pay” scale, meaning they receive pay raises based on the number of years spent in the department. Officers who have experience but are new to the department and have policing experience elsewhere start at the same entry-level pay rate regardless of their experience level.

Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the city is steadily losing more officers to higher-paying jobs and have difficulty recruiting new people at the $13 per hour pay rate.

“Since I last spoke with (the board) … we have lost three people,” Armstrong said during a budget work session Wednesday evening. “We’re down to about 35 officers. … It’s very hard for us to recruit and retain … and that problem is not just here. It’s everywhere. Obviously, money is not going to gain us more employees, but we’re hoping that it will stop the bleeding. It’s just like a hemorrhage going on right now. We’re losing people that we can’t afford and I’m afraid that it will get to the point where a call is made, and we can’t respond.”

Board members agreed Wednesday that it is too late in the tax season to create a millage increase resolution to fund a pay raise for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year and discussed the possibility of requesting a millage increase to fund pay raises for the 2019 to 2020 year.

Alderman Dan Dillard said he believes Natchez citizens would be in favor of an increase in the ad valorem tax millage if it meant a possibility of having safer streets.

“I’d like this board to consider whether or not we want to increase millage for the purposes of compensating our law enforcement for the purposes of getting them a competitive edge for their recruiting,” Dillard said Wednesday. “We have to be at least competitive in our own backyard so we’re not the least of the bunch.”

Grennell said the board raised the millage by 4 mills during the last tax year, which is the maximum amount they could raise the millage and a 4 mills increase could yield approximately $450,000 a year in additional revenue to pay officers. City Attorney Bob Latham said the 4-mil rule remains the same.

Alderwoman Sarah Carter Smith said she is not in favor of increasing ad valorem taxes without exploring other areas where money-saving cuts can be made.

“Last year we explored the possibility of suspending the step raises to get the entry-level (pay) up so we can get new people on board,” Smith said, “and possibly bring those raises back later if something changes with our budgeting.”

Armstrong said he would like to at least to be able to pay starting officers more than the department currently pays, and possibly see new recruits receive credit in their department for policing experience gained in other cities.

“Currently, it doesn’t matter if you worked 15 or 20 years,” Armstrong said. “If you come to us, you’re going to get $13 an hour regardless of your experience, which is something that very few, if any, departments do.”

Armstrong said the department also could use eight new police vehicles to ensure every officer has the tools needed to respond in the shortest amount of time possible.

Grennell said pay raises should be priority one in the next fiscal year, regardless of the means of funding.

“The reality of it is, we have got to get those salaries improved in the police department, period,” Grennell said. “If we are going to maintain or improve law enforcement here in the city, we have to. … We’re going to take a step at a time. We will focus on law enforcement this year, and next year work on our other agencies.”