WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — After the initial budget vote was scuttled by four absent council members, Warner Robins city leaders finally voted on fiscal year 2020's budget.
Warner Robins city council unanimously passed a nearly $110 million budget for the new year.
The vote came on the same night six new Warner Robins police officers were recognized before council.
"Six at one time," said Mayor Randy Toms. "That's a great day right there."
The timing was probably not a coincidence, after multiple elected officials praised the 2020 budget for the resources it allocates to law enforcement.
"[In] this year's budget, we gave a half a million more dollars for sworn officers," said Councilman Tim Thomas.
It's money Acting Police Chief John Wagner says will be used to give every sworn officer a pay raise of about $1-$2 per hour and to create a series of pay incentives for the department's newest recruits.
He says it will also provide yearly raises to some of the department's most seasoned officers. Until now, according to Wagner, officers' annual raises stopped after 20 years on the job. The new budget will extend that to 25 years.
"We're super-excited about this," he said. "This makes us competitive pay-wise. It helps us out very much in the recruiting, and it also helps out with the retention issue."
Issues with officer recruitment and retention have long followed the department, and Wagner admits they're still not at full staff.
"We're down to about eight vacancies right now," said Wagner.
Wagner noted more than a dozen more are currently in the application process.
At least one council member is pleased with the direction he thinks the department is headed.
Wagner was named WRPD's acting chief in March, and months later is still leading the department in an acting capacity
However, councilman Tim Thomas expects that to change within a month.
"Chief Wagner is going to be our chief, I can tell you that," said Thomas. "I'll be proud of the day that we do have him nominated and sworn in."
The police department wasn't alone in budget benefits.
According to Tim Thomas, the fire department received more than $1 million in extra funding to cover new equipment costs.