When experienced law enforcement officers call the Lamesa Police Department (LPD) about job openings, they at first voice interest in working here. But once they hear about the salary, the conversation stops, according to Police Chief Josh Peterson. Lamesa not only can’t match other cities’ payrolls; it can’t even match the average pay scale. In the midst of the Lamesa City Council’s first budget workshop Tuesday on the 2021-2022 budget, Peterson said his department is offering $12,000 to $18,000 less than other similar agencies “We’ve had a lot of interest from people interested in working here,” Peterson said. “When we got to talking ...