South Pittsburg City Administrator Sammy Burrows talks to the media in this file photo.
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – With two vacant positions on its police force, South Pittsburg city leaders are considering their options in the face of mounting overtime payments.
At the City Commission’s September meeting, City Administrator Sammy Burrows suggested paying the town’s five auxiliary police officers $10 per hour to cover shifts during full-time officers’ vacation time or sick leave.
Auxiliary officers can work up to 20 hours per week, he said, but no more than 100 hours per month.
“It would save us from having to pay overtime,” said Burrows. “Our overtime per hour is over $25 per hour.”
In one recent two-week pay period, he said there were 120 hours of overtime paid out to regular city officers.