Portage police get pay boost in 3-year pact
The city of Portage has agreed to a three-year contract with its police union, providing pay increases of 4% this year, 6% in 2023 and 8% percent in 2024.
The starting pay for a new officer will be $52,480, while a master patrol officer with at least three years of service will receive $59,794. There are presently 69 officers on the force.
The Board of Works unanimously approved the contract Tuesday. It’s retroactive to Jan. 1 and will expire Dec. 31, 2024. Earlier, police and the City Council ratified it.
Mayor Sue Lynch said Wednesday she had concerns because it’s a hefty increase. The 2021 city budget listed the starting pay for a probationary officer at $39,591.
“I know we need good pay for our police officers… This is an attempt to try to catch up. We’ll be using some of our ARPA money to cover it. In the future, we have to make sure we have money set aside.”
Last week, council president Collin Czilli said the city expects increased revenue from new property assessments.
“At the end of the day, our police department needs to be competitive with other departments in the region. I think this contract gets us there,” he said.
Police Chief Michael Candiano said the first-year salary level of a probationary officer was eliminated. Instead, a new officer will receive the first year pay rate. He praised the new contract.
“The benefit for us to recruit people is huge,” he said. “What we’re finding is it’s pretty competitive right now and the pool is shrinking.”
The board also approved spending $239,700 for five new police vehicles with the department’s $2.1 million in ARPA funding.
Lynch said the department was also purchasing body cameras for the first time and each patrol car will have an AED for people experiencing cardiac arrest.
In other business, the board approved a contract for cybersecurity insurance in the police department.
With the nationwide increase in hacking incidents and ransom demands, the premium skyrocketed from about $7,900 to $32,290. City attorney Dan Whitten said it was the lowest rate its provider could find.