Commission approves three‑year contract with Court Deputies Association, includes tiered pay increases

The Bernalillo County Board of County Commissioners approved Aug. 4 a tentative three‑year collective bargaining agreement with the Bernalillo County Court Deputies Association that county negotiators said is intended to improve retention and reduce vacancies. Don Hill, senior manager for labor and employee relations, told the commission the agreement — ratified by union membership on July 9 — moves deputies to a tiered pay scale based on law‑enforcement experience. Under the tentative agreement, deputies with less than five years of law‑enforcement experience would receive an 8.5% increase, while those with 15 or more years would receive increases up to 19.7%, within the budget parameters the commission set. The bargaining team negotiated a three‑year contract with reopeners on economics and one other article after two years. Hill said the contract also aligns drug and alcohol testing language with the countywide policy and includes minor adjustments to grievance procedures, sick-leave conversion and the sheriff’s authority to fill vacancies. County managers and HR staff said the agreement balances recruitment and retention needs against fiscal constraints. The board approved the agreement on a 5–0 vote; the contract goes into effect for the first full pay period after the county receives commission approval and will include reopeners as described in the agreement.