Rio Rancho council approves police collective bargaining agreement, authorizes budget to cover pay and benefit changes

The City of Rio Rancho governing body voted unanimously Sept. 11 to approve a new collective bargaining agreement with the Rio Rancho Police and Communications Association and to adopt a companion budget resolution recognizing funds to pay for the agreement.

Human Resources Director Loyola Martinez presented the draft agreement to the council, saying negotiations concluded in August after a bargaining team composed of city and union representatives reached a ratified draft. Martinez said the agreement lowers the overtime threshold from 43 hours to 40 hours per week, updates corrective-action and promotion procedures, modifies annual fitness testing and related incentives, revises light-duty parameters, increases on-call compensatory time for specialty units, raises the uniform allowance, implements a contingent annual retention incentive, applies base pay increases of 4% to all career-progression tiers (with dispatch supervisors receiving a 5% adjustment), and creates a new longevity plan for non-sworn MOS positions. Martinez said many of the economic changes have recurring budget impacts and that, if approved, “the ratified CBA would take effect on the pay…