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Council tentatively approves wage and structure changes for police and firefighters; police to receive 4% one-year raise
Summary
Council reviewed tentative settlement terms with the Lindsay Police Officers Association and firefighter bargaining units: a one-year 4% base wage increase for police, inclusion of Juneteenth as a holiday, and step-structure changes for firefighters to aid recruitment and retention.
The Lindsay City Council reviewed and approved tentative bargaining outcomes presented by staff for the Lindsay Police Officers Association (LPOA) and the firefighter bargaining unit.
Staff said the police association had been out of contract since 2023 and had not received prior multi-year wage adjustments. The tentative agreement for LPOA recommended a 4% base wage increase effective for one year; staff said the increase is not retroactive but is intended to align police pay with raises other city employees previously received. Staff also said the agreement adds Juneteenth as a holiday for officers; that holiday had been negotiated into other contracts in prior years but was not in place for LPOA because of contract timing.
For the firefighter unit, staff described changes to the step structure to improve hiring and retention. The proposal eliminates the first two steps of the existing seven-step progression and adds two steps to the back end, raising the starting base for new hires and preserving opportunities for long-term step increases. Staff said firefighters would not receive a base wage percentage increase in this action but would receive adjustments to longevity pay and other non-base compensation items.
Nut graf: The tentative agreements were framed by staff as measured steps to address recruitment and retention while balancing constrained city finances. Council voted to approve the tentative agreements and implement the step-structure revisions; staff said the arrangements will be incorporated into the city’s payroll and personnel systems.
During discussion, staff said the city considered sign-on bonuses but rejected them because of cost and equity concerns; council members described the negotiated approach as fiscally prudent given recent staffing reductions and budget constraints.
Ending: The council voted in favor of the tentative agreements. Staff will finalize contract language, update payroll, and return any required formal agreements for final ratification as needed under bargaining-unit processes.
