NATCHEZ — Entry-level pay for Natchez Police officers will soon increase from $13 per hour to $15.50 per hour, after alderman approved the measure Wednesday during a budget work session.

The pay raise for new police officers became feasible after aldermen agreed to eliminate two vacant police officer positions, said outgoing City Clerk Megan Edmonds and enough room was left in the 2019 fiscal year budget for a promotion within the department to create an assistant police chief.

“(The raise) is going to happen,” Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said.

Eliminating two of the existing vacant 10 police officer positions left enough money in the budget to make the raise and left enough money to fund promotion of a police officer to an assistant police chief position if the board chooses to approve that measure.

“It ended up giving us approximately $60,000 more to work with,” Edmonds said. “By cutting the vacancies, we’re able to increase the base-pay rate to 15.50 per hour, so everyone is making at least that.”

Grennell said in the adjusted budget, $11,000 would allow room for a promotion within the department for the assistant police chief position. Officials would not release the name of the individual that is being considered for the promotion.

Officials said city employees are underpaid in other departments as well, specifically in the public works department.

“We know that we’ve got to invest in our employees to have … good quality services, and we’re gradually getting there,” Grennell said.