photo by: Journal-World Illustration

Lawrence Police Department logo, Lawrence City Hall

As contract negotiations between the local police union and the city stretch on, any raise provided police would now require adjustments to the city’s proposed budget.

At its meeting last week, the Lawrence City Commission set the city’s maximum spending authority for the 2019 budget at $280.4 million, which does not set aside funds for the 3 percent general wage increase requested by the Lawrence Police Officers Union. City Manager Tom Markus told commissioners that each percent raise for police would amount to about $107,000, meaning that to provide the requested 3 percent raise would be equal to about $321,000.

The LPOA sent a letter to commissioners ahead of their meeting, requesting that the commission consider the ongoing contract negotiations and the LPOA’s wage increase request when setting the maximum expenditures. Once max expenditures are set, the city can adjust them downward but not upward. Commissioner Matthew Herbert brought up the letter, and asked city staff about the budget implications of potential raises.

Since negotiations are still ongoing, Finance Director Bryan Kidney said it would be problematic to try to match expenditures to an unknown amount. Kidney said that if a general raise is agreed to, that the city could use money it has in its reserves to fund the raise or make cuts and use those dollars to fund the raise. Kidney noted that the city’s maximum spending authority includes the city’s reserve funds. As currently proposed, the city has budgeted to spend about $206.7 million of the $280.4 million maximum expenditure level for 2019.

Though the budget doesn’t include a general, across-the-board wage increase for officers and detectives, Markus noted that the budget does include $184,200 for merit and other pay increases. Specifically, he said the budget includes $121,200 for merit increases. How much a particular officer or detective receives in a merit increase is based upon the employee’s evaluation and other such factors. In addition, the proposed city budget also includes $63,000 for “competencies,” or increases in pay for certain skills, Markus said.

Currently, the contract between the police union and the city stipulates that an officer will receive a 2.5 percent pay increase for each approved competency. Competencies outlined in the contract include technical certifications, higher education achievements, and special assignments such as a school resource officer or canine handler.

The city and the LPOA have yet to agree on key aspects of the contract, including pay for overtime, longevity, shift differential, court time, as well as the general wage increase. The LPOA is proposing a 3 percent general wage increase for 2019 and 2020. The city is proposing no general wage increase for 2019 and a 1 percent increase for 2020.

A mediator from the United States Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is assisting negotiations between LPOA and city representatives. A seven-hour mediated meeting between the city and LPOA was ongoing Monday, and representatives for both sides indicated to the Journal-World that a final resolution was not likely to be reached that day.

The next meeting between the LPOA and city staff is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 27. The public hearing on the budget will take place at the City Commission’s meeting Aug. 7.