Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/police-raises/)
In a heated 4-3 vote, the city council approved over $5 million in new raises for city police, public executives and workers. Supporters say the increase was already negotiated and thus should be approved despite coronavirus economic impact concerns. Opponents argued against increasing costs in the current environment, arguing the new salary contracts could lead to financial trouble.
The union in a memo to the council last month criticized Villegas and Iglesias and requested their removal from the public safety board, questioning their commitment to the city’s police officers and their ability to make key public safety policy decisions.
The Fullerton City Council voted 4-1 to give police officers raises in an effort to stop them from leaving the city for higher paying jobs elsewhere and will defund 10 vacant positions to pay for the raise.
New police raises will cost Garden Grove at least $3.4 million extra than officials disclosed when it was approved in April, city staff confirmed in response to a Voice of OC analysis.
Independent Juan Villegas and Republican Cecilia Iglesias want more community investment from their city budget, opposing a police union push for a $25 million pay raise package. All of the Santa Ana Democrats on the city council back police pay raises. Villegas and Iglesias now face recall.
Santa Ana officials are looking for money in other parts of the Police Department budget to fund $4.3 million for police pay increases this fiscal year, as City Council members continue to be deadlocked over whether to fund the raises.