SANFORD – Without comment, the Sanford City Council on Aug. 6 approved a one-year contract with the Sanford Police Association that addresses wages and benefits, with a view to negotiating a three-year contract addressing other matters next year.

The one-year police agreement outlines an 8 percent pay increase – which City Manager Steve Buck noted is an attempt to achieve market rate for officers. He said that there exists a $2 per hour disparity with surrounding departments, which he said would come closer to a 10.5 percent increase.

Buck said that the police department has the highest remaining year-end balance of any city departments, and it is sufficient to absorb the impact needed to achieve the 8 percent wage increase.

He told the council that there are five new officers joining the agency, who earn less than seasoned officers.

Other matters will be addressed in upcoming negotiations for a three-year contract, Buck said.

The increase means an officer just starting with the department would earn $22.05 per hour. Those with one-year’s longevity would earn $24.31 an hour; increase to $25.96 upon completions of year two, and so on, with increases to $27.53 an hour at the completion of the fourth year of employment as a patrol officer.

A corporal will earn $29.74 and a sergeant $32.12 an hour, according to the contract. The animal control officer is poised to earn $23.22 an hour under the terms of the new contract.

Officers will earn $60 an hour, $10 more than the current rate, for outside details, which are paid by the entity seeking to hire an officer and not by the city.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the contract.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com

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