Campbell residents have passed a levy that will give an additional 5.35 mill to the city's police department.

Like the fire department, Campbell Police say levy was needed to find and keep professional officers in the area by raising wages to compete with neighboring communities.

A statement on the levy says Campbell has become a training ground for officers to move on to higher-paying jobs in the surrounding area.

Campbell is one of the lower-paying departments in the area with entry pay for full-time officers coming in at $15.50/hr with a top pay of $19.09/hr after 10 years.

The average entry pay for other departments in the surrounding areas is $18.80/hr with a top pay of $26.73/hr.

Campbell police sergeants are also paid less than those at other area departments. Campbell sergeants start at $19.49/hr with a top pay of $21.14/hr after one year.

The average rate for other area sergeants is $29.54/hr with a top pay of $30.30/hr.

Another issue is the pay for part-time officers who make up about 40% of the Campbell Police Department. Part-time officers make $12.50/hr, a rate that is less than those employed at Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby and other companies, according to CPD’s levy release.

The 5.35 mills additional levy will cost $10.73 per month or $128.76 per year for a $50,000 home. The levy cost for a $100,000 home would be $21.46 per month or $257.52 per year.