SCOTT CITY -- Employees of the Scott City police and public works departments will get pay increases, some of up to $3,000 or more annually, beginning March 5.

Local officials hope the new pay plan will allow the city to keep its valued employees longer as wages are raised to be more competitive with area towns.

With the change, Randy Zimmerman, a full-time policeman since December 1990, will become a senior patrolman. His annual wages will increase from $15,993 to $18,792, a jump of $2,799 for a 40-hour work week.

Zimmerman said the salary increase was a long time coming, but he appreciated all the hard work the finance committee did in developing a fair pay plan for employees.

The city gave a $1,000 annual raise at the beginning of this fiscal year July 1 to long-term employees. Prior to that, the salary schedule had been static since the 1980s, Zimmerman said.

"I'm very pleased with it," he said. "The rest of the officers are too."

Bobby Cassout, a five-year employee of the publics works department, will become lead man with the change. His annual wages will go from $17,585 to $19,248, an increase of $1,663.

Four Scott City patrolmen, hired within the past year, are on the salary schedule at $12,716. They will be moved into the Patrolman II position with annual wages of $16,040 when they complete their probationary employment period.

For beginning patrolmen with less than a year's experience, the city will offer $14,758 annually on the new salary plan.

Police Chief Danny Clubb hopes that $2,000 increase will help attract qualified personnel as openings develop in his department. He thinks the other increases will be enough to hold on to the personnel who are well trained and doing a good job.

The beginning pay for dispatchers will be increased from $11,057 annually to $12,832 under the new plan. Those with one year of experience will earn $13,185.

One of the lowest paying jobs in the public works department is $10,504 annually. With the change, the minimum pay for public works employees will be the same as beginning dispatchers at $12,832.

The range of wages for public works employees is $11,000 to about $13,600. Several of those on the low end will go to a minimum of $13,474 while those on the upper end will be paid at least $14,758, the same as a beginning policeman.

"The boys feel great about it," said Harold Uelsmann, a 13-year employee who is director of public works. "It's definitely a plus for this department to have those types of wages."

Uelsmann views the new pay plan as an incentive to keep his employees. He said Scott City was often a training ground for employees who went on to better-paying jobs in other areas.

The city has always had good benefits, including retirement and health insurance, Uelsmann said. The pay increase will make it better, he said.

City Administrator John Saxton said the pay plan has new titles and grade levels, particularly in the public works department. He said there was much discussion to set up the grades and classification of duties so the pay would be fair across the board.

The city council had been wanting to establish a fair pay plan for some time, Saxton said. He said that was one of the first duties he was given when he was hired last fall.

"This is a real pay plan that will keep up with inflation," Saxton said. "Our surveys had shown that our past pay plan hadn't kept up with wages in other areas."

Brenda Moyers, council woman and chairman of the finance committee, said it was necessary to come up with a new pay plan that would be more competitive with area towns. She likes the idea that wages will be in line with one another in all city departments.