Livingston police unions agree to 5 percent pay cut

Livingston police officers and their supervisors will start the new year with a 5 percent pay cut, according to a recent six-month agreement reached by city leaders.

City administrators say the police salary cuts are similar to those taken by other city employees, some of whom will also take furloughs. The employee concessions are needed to help balance a budget with a $140,000 deficit and make the city financially solvent, officials said.

According to the agreement, police officers will take the 5 percent wage reduction from Jan. 1 to June 30. The agreement also caps the number of unused vacation hours an officer can cash out to 40 per year and requires each officer to pay $50 monthly toward health insurance.

City leaders reached the agreement with the Police Department’s two employee unions – the Livingston Police Officers’ Association and the Livingston Police Supervisors’ Unit – after nearly six months of negotiations. The previous contract, which expired in December 2014, mandated a 7 percent salary cut.

The cuts are expected to save the city $42,756, mostly from its general fund, according to city documents.

Livingston Police Officers’ Association President Kristen Lucas said the recent agreement is an improvement from last year’s 7 percent salary reduction, but the city is still not controlling its spending.

“They just waste money without taking their employees into consideration,” Lucas said Wednesday. “Meanwhile, their employees are giving 110 percent and doing their jobs every day. The officers are upset and discouraged; the morale is low.”

Lucas said the Livingston Police Department is also understaffed, with fewer officers working more overtime hours to cover the city. “It’s truly an officer safety issue with these guys working so many hours and not having the backup they need,” she said.

Livingston Police Chief Ruben Chavez said his department should have 22 full-time officers but currently has 16. Five positions – three police officers and two dispatchers – are vacant, but the chief is awaiting approval from city leaders to fill them. He has already started recruiting dispatchers.

Chavez said he voluntarily gave up 6 percent of his own salary to support his officers.

“I’m not going to sit there and not take a pay cut when the officers are being cut,” Chavez said “I want people to know that these guys are working hard and this should not be the standard. It’s difficult for me because I’d like to give them what they deserve.”

Being understaffed makes it difficult for police officers to follow up on crimes, Chavez added, and lower salaries makes it a challenge to recruit new officers to fill job vacancies.

Livingston City Manager Jose Ramirez said he also took a 6 percent salary cut to support employees. Ramirez said some vacant jobs haven’t been immediately filled so the city can reap a few months of savings.

Staffing levels have dropped in all city departments, not just the Police Department, Ramirez said. But hopes are that the new year will bring more revenues to help restore the cuts.

“I think 2015 will be a lot better than last year because property and sales taxes will play a big role,” Ramirez said. “Our priority is to make sure the city is on stable ground financially. The decision we made was that everyone had to participate to make sure we balanced the budget.”

Although City Council members and the mayor haven’t eliminated their $300 monthly stipend, Livingston Mayor Pro Tem Gurpal Samra said they’ve cut spending in other areas, including out-of-city training. Everyone has to do his part to help close the city’s budget gap, he added.

“Since public safety is about 60 percent of the budget, that’s where the cuts have to come from as well,” Samra said. “We understand it might affect morale in some ways, but you also have to be able to write a check and clear it.”

Samra also predicted stronger city revenues in 2015, and promised to restore the police officers’ pay as soon as possible. “When city finances get better, I am the first one to say I’m all for restoring their salaries,” he said.

This story was originally published December 31, 2014 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Livingston police unions agree to 5 percent pay cut."