Suffolk News-Herald

A standing-room-only crowd jammed the City Council chambers Wednesday, as more than two dozen city employees and residents offered local lawmakers their 2 cents on the city’s proposed $277 million budget.

Citizens gave council members an earful: Give police officers a 10 percent across-the-board pay raise. Cut the city’s $300,000 travel and training budget. Reduce the city’s $1.08 tax rate. Leave the tax rate at its existing level.

Both Police Officer Mike Harris and Mike Imprevento, an attorney representing the police union, said the city needs to focus on the retention of police officers.

&uot;An average of 100 years of veteran police experience has left the police force in the past nine months,&uot; said Imprevento. Most of the officers have left for higher paying jobs because they felt a &uot;resounding lack of hope&uot; in getting more than a 4 or 5 percent pay raise in Suffolk.

Harris, speaking on behalf of dozens of police officers who packed the room, urged council for give officers a double-digit raise.

Their appeal garnered support from several residents, including Donna Perry, president of the Citizens Academy Alumni of Suffolk.

&uot;Citizens of Suffolk are not safe,&uot; Perry said. &uot;We are growing at a rate of 1,000 homes a year and we have a critical manpower problem. We’ve down 29 officers right now.&uot;

John Harrell, chairman of the Industrial Development Authority, urged to continue funding the board’s closure fund. In recent years, the council has invested $1 million annually in the fund; the proposed budget cuts the allocation by 50 percent.

&uot;Suffolk is able to keep up with its residential growth because of its industrial growth,&uot; said Harrell.

&uot;If you are going to shorten the train, don’t cut the engine.&uot;

Along with a handful of other speakers, Roger Leonard, who lost his bid for the Whaleyville City Council seat in Tuesday’s election, urged council to look for ways to reduce the city’s $1.08 tax rate by as much as 5 cents.