Qualifying Rincon police officers will see a $1 increase in their hourly wages beginning in January.

After convening in executive session on Monday night, council voted on the increase as a means to help bring all the officer’s salaries in line with one another. During the process of hiring new police officers, Mayor Ken Lee said they realized they “probably needed to review the pay rates.”

Council will review the rates and make adjustments as needed.

In the meantime, the search for a new police chief continues. Interested applicants must have previous experience as a chief, deputy chief or other similar command position along with a minimum of seven years of law enforcement supervisory experience. A bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, political science criminal justice or related field and/or experience also is required.

In addition, the applicant must be Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training certified and be highly effective in working with elected officials as well as possessing strong leadership skills and a proven ability to apply industry best practices to address complex issues.

Deadline for the applying for the chief of police position is Dec. 31.