Crime & Safety
City Votes To Approve Salary, Benefits Adjustment For Police Dept.
Balancing city's budget necessitates compensation adjustments, officials said.
The Monrovia City Council unilaterally voted Sept. 3 to approve implementation of its last, best and final offer in the latest round of negotiations with the police officers' union.
The city voted to require all members of the Monrovia Peace Officers' Association to pay the full percentage of their respective employee retirement benefit and voted to suspend merit salary adjustments and the Longevity/Performance Bonus Program. The changes are for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
The city's offer would have sworn officers pay the full 9 percent of their retirement benefit, while non-sworn members will pay the full 8 percent of theirs, according to city documents. This would mean the elimination of the Employer Paid Member Contribution benefit.
City officials said that with concessions from its employees, Monrovia would not be able to balance the budget for 2013-2014.
The MPOA and the city began negotiating since April of 2013, prior to the expiration of the 5-year memorandum of understanding in June.
The two groups negotiated without any success, when in August of this year, an impasse was declared, officials said.
City officials project the savings generated by having MPOA members pay their respective pension costs will be $484,000. The savings have been incorporated into the 2013-2014 budget, while the city would save $102,000 by suspending merit salary adjustments and the Longevity/Performance Bonus Program.
