Council OKs $175,000 Pay for Head of Tuscaloosa’s New Public Safety Department

The Tuscaloosa City Council set aside around $360,000 for costs associated with hiring its new Executive Director of Public Safety, including a $175,000 salary.

The position will oversee a newly created Department of Public Safety, unifying the leadership of the police and fire departments, E-911 service, and other related entities, reviving a role that last existed in Tuscaloosa 40 years ago.

The decision comes after months of information gathering and debate over the position, with some on the council questioning whether the position was necessary and whether it should be eligible for overtime pay.

Creating the role had already been approved in a tie vote broken by Mayor Walt Maddox, and funding was among the last issues to be resolved before moving to a hire.

Weeks of talks brought the council to a Tuesday meeting of its Finance Committee, the last major body to chew through the fine details of the new job. There, the committee voted to recommend a compensation package worth about $236,000.

The estimated annual salary for the position is $175,701, although a spokesperson stated that it could range between $140,000 and $200,000, following a new pay grade created by a split council vote on Tuesday.

Get our free mobile app

The recommendation adds another $17,000 for insurance costs, $29,000 for pension and about $2,300 for Medicare. They also OK'd a cap of $10,000 in first-year overtime pay. They said they would attempt to work with the Alabama legislature to pass a law exempting this position from overtime eligibility—a key sticking point for some council members.

Their recommendation also included $100,000 for one-time equipment costs, specifically $75,000 for a new vehicle, $15,000 for furniture, and $10,000 for a laptop and other technology needs.

After the finance committee heard a proposal on where to pull funds to cover these costs and gave its approval, the full city council approved the pay package later on Tuesday in a 4-2 split.

Lee Busby and Norman Crow voted against the measure. Joe Eatmon, Raevan Howard, Kip Tyner and John Faile voted yes, and Cassius Lanier was not in attendance.

The city will eliminate two vacant officer positions from TPD's budget and pull other funds from ambulance franchise revenue to free up about $260,000 for ongoing personnel costs associated with the role.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has advocated for the new position since first pitching it early this summer and said that by drawing from already budgeted but unused funds, the department head's salary is cost-neutral.

He heralded the votes as a win for public safety in the city going forward.

"Crime is down in Tuscaloosa. Violent crime has dropped 24 percent and property crime is down 33 percent compared to this time last year. These results reflect the dedication of the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the strategic investments made by our City Council," Maddox said in a statement. "But we must continue to evolve. That’s why, on June 27, I introduced a recommendation to the Council to create an Executive Director of Public Safety. This cost-neutral position will unify leadership across police, fire, 911, emergency operations, and municipal security. It will improve coordination, speed up response times, and help us manage major events and emergencies more effectively."

The mayor said he expects TPD Chief Brent Blankley and TFR Chief Mark Delk will spend more time at their headquarters and in the field, and less time in City Hall after this hire is made.

"The role will also enhance data sharing and allow our chiefs to focus on daily operations, while strategic oversight, financial accountability, and long-range planning are centralized," Maddox said. "This is a future-focused step that will make Tuscaloosa safer, stronger, and more resilient.”

A city spokesperson said there are still some council votes to be held before the hiring process begins, but it could commence early next year.

For more coverage of City Hall, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.