Legislature authorizes memorandum to align pay, benefits for part-time sheriff patrol officers

The Schenectady County Legislature approved a memorandum of understanding authorizing the county manager to negotiate terms to align pay and benefits for part-time road patrol officers with those of full-time officers. The resolution (100-25) passed by a 15-0 roll-call vote.

County Manager Rory Fluman described the proposal as an effort to bring pay parity to part-time road patrol officers, similar to a parity arrangement negotiated last year for part-time correction officers. "When we negotiated the part time rates for our correction officers, last year, we gave them parity with the full time officers as a way to recruit," Fluman said. "Because at the moment, the part time road patrol officers don't make as much as the full time. So it's an effort to make incomparity just like we have for the corrections officers, align the two bargaining units, to be able to recruit a couple more part time officers, which are used for vacations, mass events, to supplement our road patrol."

Fluman told the committee the package under consideration includes pay and leave provisions similar to those already negotiated for corrections staff and is intended to improve recruitment and coverage for vacations and events.

The committee on rules placed the measure on the agenda earlier in the evening; the full legislature read the resolution and recorded 15 ayes and 0 nays on the roll-call, and the measure was adopted without amendment recorded on the public record.

The transcript does not list a mover or seconder by name for the final roll-call item; the resolution text authorizes the county manager to enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding part-time use of patrol officers in the Schenectady County Sheriff's Office.