Council approves side letter with police union to boost pay by 5%, delete vacant positions to offset cost

The Oroville City Council approved a side letter with the Oroville Police Officers Association proposing pay adjustments intended to help recruit and retain officers.

City staff described the package as a 5% compensation increase paired with a change in how overtime is calculated; officials said the alteration to overtime rules will reduce overtime costs. To offset the cost, staff recommended deleting four currently vacant positions. City leaders told the council the vacant positions would not hurt operations and that the combination of changes would be cost-neutral within the current budget.

Council moved and seconded the item; after a public comment period the council called the roll and the motion passed (recorded as a unanimous motion in the minutes).

What’s next: The side letter will be implemented per the terms discussed; staff will update payroll and staffing lists and report back if additional adjustments are required.