The Flowery Branch City Council approved a large pay raise for those serving in the Flowery Branch Police Department at its council meeting on Jan. 20, 2022.
Chris Hulsey, interim chief of police with the Flowery Branch Police Department, said the raise will increase the starting salary as well as the salary of those already employed at the department.
The starting salary for police officers in the department has been raised to $50,212. Hulsey said the previous starting salary was $43,038.
Likewise, all officers currently employed at the department received a 16.90% pay increase, no matter their current salary. Raises for current officers were retroactive beginning on Jan. 10, 2022.
"In July ... I just noticed that there were some of us that were struggling because the pay was so low, and the quality of applicants that we were getting just wasn't really that good," Hulsey said.
Hulsey approached City Manager Tonya Parrish in December 2021 with concerns about the pay. That meeting eventually led to the vote for the pay raise on Thursday.
The Flowery Branch Police Department had one position open as of Monday.
"I am so grateful for the council and the mayor to even consider this," Hulsey said.
