City Approves Raise of 3.5% for Police
A 3.5% pay raise will go to the city’s police officers under a one-year contract approved last week by the City Council.
The increase, retroactive to July 1995, will cost the city about $83,700 during the current fiscal year.
Councilwoman Maria Moreno expressed regret that the raise is not larger but said that lingering financial effects of the Orange County bankruptcy ruled that out.
Placentia has recovered about 78% of its funds from the county’s failed investment pool, Finance Director Howard L. Longballa said, but is still owed $4.5 million.
Det. Gary Sprague, president of the 36-member Placentia Police Assn., said the general feeling among officers is that the new contract is a fair one, considering the city’s financial situation.
“Of course, we understand the current economic times,” Sprague said. “These are hard times for a lot of cities.”
Sprague said that about 75% of the union membership voted to ratify the agreement. Under the new contract, salary and benefit packages for Placentia police officers range from $58,400 to $72,000 a year.
Placentia’s police voluntarily returned a raise of about 3% during fiscal 1994-95, when the city was facing economic difficulties.
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