DAPHNE, Ala.— On Monday, the City Council voted 5-2 to approve an exception to the hiring freeze to fill a vacant position for a corrections officer. The estimated annual cost for filling the position is $38,404-$40,921.

The council also voted 6-1 to an exception to the hiring freeze to fill a vacant position for a patrol officer. The estimated annual cost for the position is $48,898-$52,361. The two public safety positions were approved to be filled because these positions are vital to the public’s safety, city leaders said.

“This is a matter of us deviating from the hiring freeze that the council instituted last year in very tight financial times … I will support this for the simple reason that we have a very small number of corrections officers. One officer left and, as we speak, a lieutenant is coming in to fill that slot … it is a safety issue if we don’t have enough corrections officers on duty,” Councilman August Palumbo said.

The council voted 2-5 to not approve an exception to the hiring freeze to hire a revenue technician. The revenue technician position will be vacated in the near future. The revenue technician position would have an estimated yearly cost of $38,404-$40,921.

This position was not approved to be filled because the job is not necessary for the city to function, some leaders said.

“These are positions that we designated the hiring freeze for … I do not think this is one of the exceptions we should grant,” Palumbo said.

However, Councilman Ron Scott said the city would not come to a stop if the position weren’t filled, but it will take longer for work to get completed.

The city has been operating under a hiring freeze since the fiscal year’s budget was adopted in October. Members of the city council say the hiring freeze has had its desired effect of saving the city money.