El Mirage council adopts three-year police union memorandum of understanding
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Summary
The City Council approved Resolution 20543 adopting a three-year memorandum of understanding with the El Mirage Police Employees Association covering July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028, that includes pay-step changes, specialty pay, higher uniform allowance and other benefit changes; one council member voted no.
The El Mirage Common Council on April 15 approved Resolution 20543 adopting a tentative memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the City of El Mirage and the El Mirage Police Employees Association covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
City staff presented details of the tentative agreement, which they said aligned officer and sergeant step pay plans with the 60th percentile of the market and reduced the number of steps in the officer plan to match competitor cities. Staff also described a cost-of-living adjustment to apply in the second and third years of the agreement; inclusion of officers and sergeants in any citywide compensation studies; and employer contributions to deferred compensation increasing “from $35 per pay period to $100 per pay period in lieu of holiday closure leave.” The presentation also listed changes to disciplinary-letter language, tuition reimbursement, vacation leave language, and association dues processing; the removal of a release-time provision; specialty-assignment pay; higher on-call and callback guarantees; a new association donation program; and an expanded uniform allowance.
Don, a city presenter, summarized the MOU’s operational changes and pay provisions, saying the agreement also “provid[es] specialty assignment pay for assignments in the gang task force, neighborhood enforcement team, K‑9 unit, traffic motor unit, and special weapons and tactics” and that assigned employees would receive an additional 5% to their base rate for one listed assignment. The presentation said on-call pay for assigned investigators would rise (staff cited an increase from $2 to $3 per hour for officers and from $4 to $5 for sergeants) and guaranteed callback hours would increase from two to four hours at overtime rates.
Council members debated the MOU during the meeting. Council member Winston said retention was a core goal, commenting that “retention is something that’s really important,” and urged approval to help stabilize staffing. Council member Gentry said residents had asked her for more fiscal restraint and asked questions about how the department compared to peer cities. Multiple council members praised the city manager and negotiating process for pursuing retention and “win‑win” solutions, while Gentry said several residents asked for a return to the negotiating table. City attorney Justin answered procedural questions about how the tentative agreement was reached through the meet-and-confer process.
On a recorded vote the council approved the resolution. Mayor Hermosillo and Vice Mayor Parsons voted aye; Council members Dorsey, Aldridge, Norton McDaniel and Winston voted aye; Council member Gentry voted nay. The motion passed and the council adopted Resolution 20543.
Council members and staff said any implementation detail, such as inclusion in future compensation surveys, would be handled per the agreement language and follow-on administrative processes. The presentation and council discussion repeatedly framed the MOU as a tool to recruit and retain officers amid regional competition for law-enforcement staffing.
The council meeting packet and the city presentation listed the MOU’s proposed term as July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028, and summarized the substantive changes described above. The council did not amend the tentative agreement on the floor; it approved the resolution as presented.
