TEXARKANA, Ark. - In an open letter dated Monday, the Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Association stated its position regarding a pending arbitration hearing in an ongoing dispute about pay parity with Texas-side police.
Ahead of the hearing scheduled for Monday, the letter, signed by TAPA President Catalina Segura and Vice President Tanner Freeman, states "our voice matters and should be considered in any settlement" of a lawsuit brought by Arkansas-side residents.
At issue is the fate of a pair of quarter-cent sales taxes approved by voters more than 20 years ago to fund keeping Arkansas-side police and firefighter pay at parity with that in Texarkana, Texas. Pay parity has been a continual issue since, with citizens and employees who say the tax revenues have been mismanaged at odds with city officials who say they are insufficient.
In December 2017, a group of Texarkana, Arkansas residents filed suit against city officials to force Police Department pay parity with a court ruling.
The city has argued that the parity taxes are against the state constitution because they effectively let another entity - Texarkana, Texas - set the the Arkansas side's pay policy. Pressing the lawsuit in court could result in elimination of the taxes, leaving the city with a revenue shortfall of millions of dollars a year.
The TAPA's letter makes clear the group considers that outcome unacceptable.
"TAPA members do not wish to jeopardize the sales tax collection currently in place due to obvious financial strain it would place on the city. Additionally, the TAPA would like to stress to everyone concerned that a reduction in police force not only would place our officers at a greater risk of physical harm but would jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of our citizens," the letter states.
"Any loss of tax revenue specified for the payment of police salaries would create an undue hardship to not only the city but to the Police Department as well. The reduction of staffing is something that must be avoided at all costs," according to the letter.
The letter acknowledges that because of a pay raise plan passed by the city Board of Directors in September 2019, the Police Department will achieve pay parity with its Texas-side counterparts by the beginning of the year. It also recognizes that economic differences between the two cities make achieving pay parity between the two departments at times impossible.
"The issue of police pay parity in Texarkana, Arkansas is now 25 years old. As of January 1, 2021, we will have once again achieved parity with officers of a nearby comparable agency. Members of the TAPA acknowledge there are fundamental differences in revenue generated by the two cities, and that there are times that it is not financially feasible for our city to match salaries contemporaneous with others. Members of the association agree that officials of The City of Texarkana, Arkansas must have an ordinance in place that gives direction and outlines when a salary increase, or COLA (cost of living allowance) increase will be given to its law enforcement officers," the letter states.
According to the 2019 plan, any year the parity taxes generate enough revenue to fund competitive pay - which is not defined - and Texarkana's police and fire departments are not competitive with others within a 50-mile radius, competitive compensation will be paid.
Any year when the taxes are insufficient to fund competitive pay and the general fund reserve is less than 62 days of expenditures, police and firefighters will not get raises. If the tax is not enough but the reserve is more than 62 days, they will get raises to competitive pay or 2.5%, whichever is less.
City Manager Haskin declined to comment Tuesday because of the ongoing nature of the lawsuit.
In summary, the letter states, "although we believe that incremental salary increases are necessary to maintain professional law enforcement services to the citizens of Texarkana, we do not believe it should come at a cost of reduced staffing and placing the city in a financial hardship. We are understanding of the years of zero financial growth the city has suffered, and in some years a shrinking budget. We understand that under these circumstances it makes it difficult to maintain 'pay parity'. Officers of the TAPA are hopeful that a common ground can be found with both parties for an agreeable resolution that does not jeopardize the collection of the tax and our city that we hold dear."