Durham city officials are working to address a pay discrepancy affecting approximately 200 employees in the city’s police and fire departments. The issue has left higher-ranking workers earning less than their lower-ranking counterparts, prompting city leaders to explore solutions.
At a City Council meeting on Thursday, Council Member Carl Rist advocated for retroactive compensation to resolve the inequities. “It seems to me that for people who have been passed over, making them whole and going back to the beginning of the fiscal year would be the right thing to do,” Rist said.
The pay disparity arose in July when adjustments were made as part of the city’s budget, inadvertently causing uneven compensation increases. City Manager Wanda Page acknowledged the problem, citing firefighters as an example. “We knew that could cause a pass,” Page said, referencing the pay gap between ranks. The situation prompted criticism from other council members, including Javiera Caballero, who described the discrepancy as fundamentally unfair.
City leaders are now determining the financial implications of compensating affected employees retroactively for the past six months. Page noted that this would require a thorough reevaluation of all workers in similar situations. Despite the complexity, the city plans to adjust pay for impacted employees starting in January to ensure they earn more than their subordinates.
Discussions about back pay will continue once new calculations, accounting for overtime and other variables, are finalized. City officials are committed to resolving the issue promptly and equitably, aiming to restore confidence among Durham’s public safety personnel.
