A City of Falls Church police sergeant, in public comments to the City Council tonight opposing City Manager Wyatt Shields’ recommended sharp increase in employee participation in pension and health benefit funds, said that having salaries frozen at 2008 levels and the past two years taking salary cuts by way of requiring increased outlays for pensions, combined with little chances for advancement in a small police department has led seven officers to begin “searching elsewhere” for jobs.

(Correction: The News-Press earlier incorrectly reported Sgt. Carter saying ‘seven’ where in fact he said ‘several’ in his comments. We apologize for the error).

A City of Falls Church police sergeant, in public comments to the City Council tonight opposing City Manager Wyatt Shields’ recommended sharp increase in employee participation in pension and health benefit funds, said that having salaries frozen at 2008 levels and the past two years taking salary cuts by way of requiring increased outlays for pensions, combined with little chances for advancement in a small police department has led seven officers to begin “searching elsewhere” for jobs.

Sgt. Joe Carter made the comment, and was follwed by officers Justin Cuomo and James Brooks who also spoke against Shields’ employee compensation recommendations that he laid out in the introduction of his proposed budget tonight. In addition, three spokespersons spoke out against Shields’ plans for major staff and hours reductions at the library, and two spoke in support of the School Board’s zero-growth budget incorporated into Shields’ proposals.