Council pushes Seattle mayor to adopt hiring bonuses for city's frontline workers
SEATTLE - Mayor Bruce Harrell has been asked by the Seattle City Council to suggest a hiring bonus and retention bonus program for all frontline workers in all city departments, and have those suggestions done by March 1.
The Mayor suspended the hiring bonus program for Seattle Police after the office realized the City Council’s $500,000 appropriation to pay for hiring bonuses in 2021 did not extend into 2022.
At least five new officers hired in January were offered bonuses, according to Seattle City Council Member Lisa Herbold, who also chairs the Council’s Public Safety Committee.
In November, the City Council decided not to include hiring or retention bonuses for new Seattle Police hires.
Officer staffing has been a contentious issue between the council and former Mayor Jenny Durkan. Two days before Mayor Durkan left office, she sent a letter to incoming Mayor Bruce Harrell saying he may want to issue a new executive order to pay for hiring bonuses in 2022.
Harrell has yet to issue such an order.
RELATED: Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell to deliver his first State of the City address
READ MORE: City: No funds allotted for Seattle Police Department's hiring bonus promise
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