Council approves first reading to establish collective-bargaining process for Lafayette police

The Lafayette City Council on March 4 approved on first reading an ordinance to codify a collective-bargaining framework for police officers, aligning the process with terms already used for firefighters in the municipal code.

Deputy City Manager Megan Davis reviewed the ordinance’s background: officers submitted a petition requesting collective bargaining in 2024; council placed a question on the November ballot and voters approved it at about 62%. The ordinance the council reviewed on March 4 adapts the city’s existing Chapter 86 (which governs firefighter bargaining) to police officers by defining covered subjects, bargaining timelines and an impasse-resolution process.

Davis said the ordinance uses timelines and procedures consistent with the firefighter agreement and builds in a process to begin negotiations for the 2026 budget year: once the ordinance is adopted, officers will identify a bargaining agent and active negotiations would begin in April 2025 for implementation or changes in the 2026 budget cycle. Council scheduled the ordinance for a second reading on March 18.

Councillors asked whether the 90-day timelines used for firefighters had been adequate in past negotiations; staff said the timeline has been workable and the ordinance includes procedures to address impasses.

Motion language recorded in the meeting directed adoption on first reading. The council’s vote on first reading was unanimous; the ordinance returns for a second reading later in March.