City of New Hampton Looks to Increase Wages While Balancing Budget

The New Hampton Police Department has officially returned to its full complement of peace officers for the first time since June.

During the December 19th City Council meeting, Mayor Bobby Schwickerath swore in Austin Hageman as NHPD’s latest officer a week after he started on December 12th. Officer Nick Sylvester was sworn in last month and started December 5th.

During the hiring process, the City learned its police officers were making, on average, $2 to $3 less per hour than neighboring departments. Schwickerath says they’re still pursuing pay raises for the NHPD and, eventually, for other City employees as well.

He says getting that accomplished is a balancing act.

While the City looks at pay increases, Schwickerath says that may not be enough to keep employees as local governments face increasing competition for workers also sought by the private sector.

Schwickerath says it’s a challenge to make wage increases work within the budget while also keeping the City moving forward.