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In the April 22 Selma City Council Meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve a new Selma Police Department (SPD) Pay Plan with starting salaries of $46,500 up to $59,500 for patrol officers, $50,500 to $66,000 for Sergeants, $54,500 to $74,200 for Lieutenants, $58,500 to $82,000 for Captains, $90,000 for Assistant Chief, and  $100,000 for the Police Chief.

The council also voted unanimously in favor of the original City Council Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Selma Fire Department salaries budget that had been vetoed when the vote was inclusive of other departments getting pay increases.  The council separated this out and approved additional positions at each rank and an increase of the Assistant Fire Chief to $85,000, Fire Chief to $100,000, and adding $200,000 in overtime.

The proposals were brought to the table and discussed in April’s first meeting by Councilman Clay Carmichael, who stated then that public safety is the single most important issue in our community.

When asked for comments, President Warren William “Billy” Young stated, “We have supported our public safety departments since day one and will continue to support them with as many resources as we can possibly extend,” alluding to the fact that this is the fourth increase between these two departments and stressing the need for promotions in the Selma Fire Department.  “We’ve got some great firemen that have worked hard, passed their promotional exams, and are ready for new positions, so we wanted to show support by providing these positions in our budget.”