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El Mirage council approves three-year police memorandum of understanding after debate over pay and benefits
Summary
The El Mirage City Council approved a three-year memorandum of understanding with the El Mirage Police Employees Association that revises officer step pay plans, adds specialty pay, increases certain benefits and sets the contract term from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The vote was 6–1.
The El Mirage City Council on April 15 approved a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the El Mirage Police Employees Association that covers wages, benefits and working conditions from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
The MOU vote followed a presentation by city staff outlining multiple changes, including revisions to officer and sergeant step pay plans to align with the 60th percentile of the market, a cost-of-living adjustment in years two and three, inclusion of officers in citywide compensation studies, an increase in an employer deferred compensation contribution from $35 to $100 per pay period (in lieu of holiday closure leave), new specialty-assignment pay (a 5% base-rate addition for specific units), small increases to on-call pay and guaranteed callback hours, and amendments to sick-leave conversion and tuition-reimbursement language.
The changes were presented as part of the city’s “meet and confer” process. City staff said the revisions aim to improve recruitment and retention in a competitive regional market and to align MOU language with the city’s personnel policies.
Council debate centered on fiscal responsibility and whether the tentative agreement warranted further negotiation. Council member Gentry moved to table the item, saying she had received resident concerns and wanted more time; the motion to table failed for lack of a second. Council member Woodson (who moved approval) argued the MOU was intended to reduce vacancies and bolster public safety, saying it was needed “to make it more attractive for the officers who we do have to stay and to attract new officers.” Woodson then made a motion to approve; the motion passed on roll call.
Roll call on the resolution recorded Mayor Hermosillo voting aye; Vice Mayor Parsons aye; Council member Dorsey aye; Council member Aldridge aye; Council member Gentry nay; Council member Norton McDaniel aye; and Council member Winston aye. The resolution number presented by staff was read as “resolution 20543.”
Staff noted the MOU includes procedural changes beyond pay — for example, aligning disciplinary-letter, tuition reimbursement and vacation-leave language with the policy manual, and adding voluntary language about vaccinations so that vaccination would not be required as a condition of employment.
A resident cited an online figure of $410,400 for a three-year contract while questioning why the agreement covered three years rather than two; staff said the police association and management recommended a three-year term during negotiations.
Action: The council approved the resolution adopting the MOU with the El Mirage Police Employees Association for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
Ending: The council moved on to other agenda items after the vote. Staff and the association will implement the negotiated terms according to the schedule and administrative steps outlined in the MOU.
