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WESTMINSTER : New Contract Gives Police 5.8% Pay Raise

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After more than six months of negotiations, the Westminster City Council this week unanimously approved a four-year contract for police officers that gives them and other Police Department personnel a 5.8% pay increase for the first year.

The contract makes Westminster police officers the sixth-highest-paid force in Orange County, said Detective Terry Selinske, president of the Westminster Police Officers Assn.

“We were concerned about our placement in the county as far as pay went,” Selinske said. “We’re back up to sixth after being as far down as 16th during the last two years. We were concerned about staying competitive with other cities in Orange County, which is something you have to do if you want to attract qualified people.”

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The new contract provides for pay increases in the second, third and fourth years with the amount to be determined by a formula that commits the city to keeping police salaries at a level that would be the fifth- or sixth-best in the county.

The contract affects 129 Police Department employees, including officers, dispatchers and clerks.

“I think it’s a fair contract and a lot of that has to do with the City Council and the police chief being willing to discuss the issues with us,” Selinske said.

Personnel Manager Janie Miller said the city and the police officers sought a multi-year contract in order to avoid having to negotiate at the same time as the municipal employees, whose contract expires this year, and Fire Department employees, whose contract expires in 1993. The new police contract is retroactive to Dec. 30, 1989.

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