Montclair police told to make cuts or face layoffs
The Police Department has to reduce its budget by $690,000 or face having six officers laid off, according to the city manager.
Although the city has implemented hiring freezes, furlough hours and asked employees to take a decrease in pay to help balance the budget, additional cuts to law enforcement need to be made, City Manager Lee McDougal said.
City officials are asking the police union to renegotiate its current contract - which doesn't expire until next June - for reductions in pay and benefits, said Deborah Camou, president of the Montclair Police Association.
The union voted last week not to open its contract.
"The Police Department takes great pride in working for Montclair, and their hard work shows in the product they provide, and we support the city of Montclair during these tough times, but we do not feel we're in a position to open our contract," Camou said.
"We believe the city is focusing too much on resolving their financial crisis with employee cuts because it's an easy way to address it."
Camou also said if the city increased its utility-user tax, it would generate additional money for the city.
The City Council made a commitment to residents to reduce the tax and eventually eliminate it, McDougal said.
If the union doesn't renegotiate its contract, the only viable option is layoffs, he said.
"They're saying cut elsewhere or raise taxes, don't cut us. I feel raising taxes on residents is not fair," McDougal said. "We've cut everywhere else. Every other department has been cut."
In January, law enforcement will receive a 1 percent pay increase and an increase in medical insurance. The city is asking the police union to waive this, the city manager said.
"The chief, deputy chief and two lieutenants have agreed to take up to a 9 percent pay decrease," he said, "and all the managers in the city from me on down have agreed to take a decrease in compensation."
Montclair has the highest number of police officers per 1,000 residents in the area, McDougal said.
Upland, Rialto, Claremont, Chino and Pomona have fewer officers per 1,000 residents than Montclair's 1.7 officers per 1,000.
In July, Montclair police officers received a raise on average of 12 percent while other city employees had a flat $1,700 increase, McDougal said.
The Montclair Police Department is the lowest paid in the Inland Empire, Camou said.
"We're about 25 percent below the average pay in benefit and hourly paid and that seems to be the general figure of all our city employees," she said.
Although the city has implemented hiring freezes, furlough hours and asked employees to take a decrease in pay to help balance the budget, additional cuts to law enforcement need to be made, City Manager Lee McDougal said.
City officials are asking the police union to renegotiate its current contract - which doesn't expire until next June - for reductions in pay and benefits, said Deborah Camou, president of the Montclair Police Association.
The union voted last week not to open its contract.
"The Police Department takes great pride in working for Montclair, and their hard work shows in the product they provide, and we support the city of Montclair during these tough times, but we do not feel we're in a position to open our contract," Camou said.
"We believe the city is focusing too much on resolving their financial crisis with employee cuts because it's an easy way to address it."
Camou also said if the city increased its utility-user tax, it would generate additional money for the city.
The City Council made a commitment to residents to reduce the tax and eventually eliminate it, McDougal said.
If the union doesn't renegotiate its contract, the only viable option is layoffs, he said.
"They're saying cut elsewhere or raise taxes, don't cut us. I feel raising taxes on residents is not fair," McDougal said. "We've cut everywhere else. Every other department has been cut."
In January, law enforcement will receive a 1 percent pay increase and an increase in medical insurance. The city is asking the police union to waive this, the city manager said.
"The chief, deputy chief and two lieutenants have agreed to take up to a 9 percent pay decrease," he said, "and all the managers in the city from me on down have agreed to take a decrease in compensation."
Montclair has the highest number of police officers per 1,000 residents in the area, McDougal said.
Upland, Rialto, Claremont, Chino and Pomona have fewer officers per 1,000 residents than Montclair's 1.7 officers per 1,000.
In July, Montclair police officers received a raise on average of 12 percent while other city employees had a flat $1,700 increase, McDougal said.
The Montclair Police Department is the lowest paid in the Inland Empire, Camou said.
"We're about 25 percent below the average pay in benefit and hourly paid and that seems to be the general figure of all our city employees," she said.
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