Durham City Council approved a $3.66 million investment in 77 hybrid police SUVs and greenlit a $200,000 feasibility study for the city's first bus rapid transit line, but spent much of the work session wrestling with equity concerns tied to parks development and school transportation safety.
The most contentious decision came over police and fire employee compensation. Council sent back a proposed pay structure amendment after learning that 196 employees were "bypassed"—meaning higher-paid staff received smaller raises than lower-paid employees. While the city manager had proposed an effective date of January 11, 2025, to avoid complex retroactive calculations, Council Members Chelsea Cook and others pushed back, arguing that the city successfully backdated police and fire raises in 2022 and should do so again. Council asked staff to recalculate what the pay changes would have cost if implemented July 1, 2024, the original target date. The estimated retroactive bill: roughly $95,000 to $188,000 depending on overtime costs. The council's position was clear: administrative convenience should not trump making employees whole.
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