Council adopts two-year police contract after binding arbitration

Boulder City council voted to approve a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Boulder City Police Protective Association following a binding-arbitration decision issued May 15, 2026.

City Manager Ned Thomas summarized the arbitration outcome: the independent arbitrator accepted the city's compensation proposal. Key compensation elements accepted by the arbitrator include a 4.375% pay increase retroactive to July 1, 2025, a 3% cost-of-living increase effective July 1, 2026, conversion of the department's five-step pay system to a 10-step structure with protections to prevent harm to current employees during the transition, and retention payments of 2% at the 15-year and 2% at the 20-year service marks.

Thomas told the council the changes were expected to cost the city an additional $626,558 in the current fiscal year (FY26) and about $865,250 in FY27 (additional to the existing base). The arbitrator's report also summarized total wages and benefits for the bargaining unit across the two-year period. Council members expressed appreciation for the department's service, discussed the length and difficulty of the negotiations, and emphasized a desire to improve negotiation processes going forward.

The council opened a public hearing but received no callers; with a motion and second, the council approved resolution 8144 to implement the arbitrator's decision and adopt the two-year agreement covering July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.

Council members urged continued efforts to strengthen both labor-management communication and transparency in future bargaining cycles.