Othello approves two police union contracts

OTHELLO — Othello Police Department officers and sergeants are getting a raise under the terms of agreements between the city and the unions representing them. Othello City Council members approved a three-year agreement with the union representing sergeants and a separate three-year agreement with police officers Monday.

Both passed unanimously without discussion.

The sergeant contract will affect four OPD personnel, according to a memo from city officials to the council. The contract between the city and officers affects 12 positions, according to a separate memo.

Council member John Lallas said the incentives and pay increases were necessary in a time of high demand for quality police officers.

“It’s becoming very difficult to keep officers in small rural communities,” Lallas said. “We’re losing out to larger communities that have more action, more things for families to do. Plus you don’t have a lot of people going into law enforcement today.”

Under the terms of the sergeants’ agreement, the sergeants will receive an 8% salary increase in 2023, retroactive to the beginning of the year. The contract includes a 3% pay increase in 2024, and between 2% and 4% in 2025, depending on the cost of living.

The contract also includes a 5% salary incentive for sergeants who speak Spanish.

“We have definitely found that to be an essential skill,” OPD Chief Phil Schenck said.

The contract also includes an incentive for longevity, bumping pay 2% for a sergeant who’s been with the OPD for two years. The incentive increases to 3% at 10 years, 4% at 15 years and 6% for 20 years with the department. The detective sergeant and SRO sergeant will receive an extra 2% of base salary.

The city will pay 100% of medical benefits in 2023 and half of any increases in 2024 and 2025.

The officer contract includes the same salary increases, incentive pay and medical benefits as the sergeant contract.

“The numbers that we used were based on a salary study that we completed where we look at cities 59% bigger and 50% smaller,” Schenck said. “Our goal is to put our department right in the middle.”

Lallas was a member of the council committee that participated in the negotiations.

“It’s very competitive,” Lallas said. “It’s not just the competitiveness of the unions trying to make money for their employees, it’s the competitiveness of trying to maintain what you have, the people you have.

“Before it was about numbers, how much it was going to cost us,” Lallas continued. “Now it’s more about how do we field a fully functioning police department that we can use to protect our city?”

The officer contract included a provision that allowed officers to take their patrol vehicles home if they lived within 30 miles of Othello. Schenck said that was increased by 15 miles to 45 miles.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at education@columbiabasinherald.com.