Mayor: 1 Arkansas city struggling to find raises for police, firefighters

TEXARKANA — The mayor of Texarkana says financial realities are making it difficult to fund pay raises for police and firefighters.

The Texarkana Gazette reported that Mayor Ruth Penney-Bell told the city Board of Directors that city officials are not cheating officers out of "parity" pay raises.

City voters in 1996 approved two quarter-cent sales taxes to keep police and firefighters' pay competitive with those on the Texas side.

Arkansas-side officials had planned a parity raise next month but have delayed it for six months. Finance Director TyRhonda Henderson said fire department raises cost $1.3 million in 2016 and police cost $1.8 million while the taxes generated $1.1 million each.

Police Chief Bob Harrison proposed an election to reaffirm the taxes, define parity and put the money into a trust account.

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