Jamestown committees approve police and fire pay scales without recommendation

Jamestown’s police and fire pay scales moved one step closer to council action, but without a committee endorsement, a sign that the city’s next decision on public safety compensation was still unsettled.

The Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee unanimously approved new public safety classifications and salary scales on Tuesday, May 19, after Jamison Veil, the deputy auditor, presented the proposal. The committee sent the item forward without recommendation, which meant the full Jamestown City Council got the proposal without a formal thumbs-up from the committee that reviewed it first.

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said that step did not require the City Council to finalize the classifications and salary scales at its June 1 meeting. The council was scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at City Hall, and the agenda packet showed it would review minutes from the May 19 and May 21 committee meetings before taking up city business.

For Jamestown residents, the issue reaches beyond payroll lines. Pay scales and job classifications shape how the city recruits officers and firefighters, how employees move through their careers, and whether the city can compete with nearby departments for the people it needs to keep emergency coverage steady. When salary structures lag, public safety agencies can feel the strain through harder hiring and higher turnover.

That matters in Jamestown because the police department runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with officers in the uniform division working consistent 12-hour shifts. The department says its mission is to create a safe and peaceful environment, protect life and property, and ensure an exceptional quality of life. The city was also still accepting applications for a Police Officer position as of January 27, underscoring that staffing remains an active concern.

The compensation debate also sits beside the city’s retirement costs. In July 2024, the City Council added $35,000 to the general fund to move the Police and Fire Departments into North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System public safety coverage between July 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025. North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System requires employers entering the public safety plan to submit a board resolution and complete enrollment documents, adding another layer to the city’s long-term cost picture.

The Police & Fire Committee, chaired by Council Member Dan Buchanan, gives those staffing and budget questions a standing place in city government. For Jamestown, the vote on classifications and salary scales was not just an administrative step. It was part of deciding how the city protects its response capacity, holds on to trained personnel, and pays for those choices in the years ahead.