Committee Approves Raises for Lacey Patrolmen

The Township Committee approved new salaries for the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association Local 238 with raises through 2014.

Lacey patrolmen will see a non-retroactive 2 percent raise in 2011 and a 2 percent raise each year for 2012-14. The Committee unanimously approved the raises at last Thursday’s township meeting.

“A lot of hard work was put into negotiating this contract as well as the contract for the superior officers,” Mayor Mark Dykoff said, thanking the representatives from the police department for their “good faith in negotiations.”

Thursday’s approval was limited to salaries as well as two additional steps added to the pay scale. The contract will be introduced and approved at a later date.

Below are the wages for patrolmen moving forward:

Increment

Jan. 1, 2010

Jan. 1, 2011*

Jan. 1, 2012

Jan. 1, 2013

Jan. 1, 2014

8

$95,286

$97,192

$99,136

$101,119

$103,141

7

$89,199

$90,983

$92,803

$94,659

$96,552

6

$83,106

$84,768

$86,463

$88,192

$89,956

5

$77,017

$78,557

$80,128

$81,731

$83,366

4

$70,927

$72,346

$73,793

$75,269

$76,774

3

$64,836

$66,133

$67,456

$68,805

$70,181

2

$52,641

$53,694

$54,768

$55,863

$56,980

1

$47,048

$47,989

$48,949

$49,928

$50,927

Base/Start

$41,000

$41,820

$42,656

Academy/FT

$34,900

$35,598

$36,310

*non-retroactive

Two new increments were added to the pay scale—a starting salary for the academy and field training officers and a base salary, Township Administrator and Municipal Clerk Veronica Laureigh said. Eight other increments follow based on the number of years a patrolman has served.

Currently, a new hire, without training, starts with a base salary at $47,048, the same range as some trained officers. Now there will be a first-year step and an academy step at reduced salaries, Committeeman Gary Quinn previously said.

“It’s saving taxpayers a considerable amount of money,” he had said.

, with salary raises, for the Superior Officers Association Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 202, which covers captain, lieutenant and sergeant. In both contracts, longevity was eliminated.

The contract for the superior officers states that all employees hired before Jan. 1, 2013, will be paid longevity increments.

In former years, in addition to employees' annual wage, they would receive longevity based on seniority. Upon entering the fifth increment of employment, the worker got 2 percent of base pay, 4 percent for the 10th increment, 6 percent for the 15th increment and 10 percent for the 23rd increment.

According to the township’s latest financial records, listed online, those with the highest figures in longevity in 2010 were Chief of Police William Nally at $13,282.20 and Sgt. Chester Jurkiewicz at $10,585.50.

Laureigh said $167,315 is the savings over the lifetime of a new officer hired after Jan. 1, 2013. The calculation was based on a 2 percent increase each year up to 25 years of service.

“Knowing what is being settled in other townships, this is a very beneficial contract for Lacey Township,” Dykoff said. “And the highlight of the two contracts features savings on new hires. In everything we do, we have to think about the future…It’s a great step forward for this township in negotiations and future savings.”

Keith Pearce, President of the PBA, declined to comment until the contract is approved.