It’s one of those votes that no politician wants to cast. It can help, but it will also hurt — and it can haunt.
That was the upshot of the recent 5-1 Tampa City Council vote not to grant pay raises to police officers this year.
It can help — in the societal sense — because the city, which doesn’t have the money to pay for the accustomed step plan increases for approximately 500 eligible officers, would have to offset the raises with layoffs elsewhere. No one should find that an equitable solution. It was time for everyone to Take One for Team Tampa. Councilman John Dingfelder framed it appropriately. “We are in tough times,” acknowledged Dingfelder. “Let’s tough it out together.”
It can also hurt, for nobody feels good about doing the right thing for the right reason when it involves saying “No” to the very people we charge with taking personal risk to protect us. In the case of Tampa, to those whose dedicated efforts have been borne out in a 46 percent drop in local crime since 2003.
“We value you, we honor you, and we are so grateful that you are serving in our city,” summed up Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena. “I just don’t know where we’re going to get the money.”
And it can haunt come election time. No elected official doesn’t want the endorsement of the TPD. A vote against an accustomed police pay hike, no matter that it was grounded in fiscal responsibility and empathy for workers whose jobs would be jeopardized, is still a political loser.
So, compliments to the Tampa Five – John Dingfelder, Gwen Miller, Charlie Miranda, Tom Scott and Linda Saul-Sena for having the civic savvy and guts to do the right thing despite a city council chamber packed with police and their ardent advocates. Mary Mulhern was not there, and Clueless Joe Caetano voted for the raise.