Several retired and active officers told the four members of the council who attended the hearing that the county is setting enough aside from the Proposition P money to properly fund the pension.

County police recruitment Officer Ricardo Franklin said county police were seeing an alarming number of officers and civilian workers leaving the department to take higher paying jobs. And Matt Crecelius, business manager for the St. Louis County Police Association, said it would be “ludicrous” for anyone to believe police officers would want to weaken their own pension system.

“You owe it to the voters and you owe it to the men and women who protect this county” to pass the raises, he said.

Retired police Officer Gary Courtney, who said he had previously served on the county pension fund under former County Executive Charlie Dooley, said he believed the fund was solvent and could support the pay increases.

Page said he was disappointed that the county budget director did not attend the hearing to answer his questions; Stenger’s office said that official was out of the office for personal reasons and said Page had not sent the budget director any questions.