SAN ANTONIO – The city of San Antonio and the police union have reached a tentative deal in its contract negotiations that have dragged out for over two years.
In a statement Mayor Ivy Taylor said, “This is a great day for our community. The city of San Antonio and the San Antonio Police Officer’s Association have come to an agreement and have achieved some key objectives. Our police officers will get a pay raise; we have addressed issues like personal legal expenses; and we’ve brought their healthcare plans more in line with what we offer our civilian employees.”
The police union confirmed they have been in mediation with the city for three weeks leading up to Tuesday's announcement.
The police union will vote on the deal first. Followed by the San Antonio City Council.
The city believes it will take approximately 60 days to ratify the new deal.
In a statement Helle said:
For two years we have been negotiating a contract. Yes, it has been challenging and at times very difficult. Our goal was to protect our police officers and their families. We also wanted to protect the financial stability of the community we serve. We believe this settlement agreement does both of those items and puts a contentious negotiation process behind us. I want to extend my thanks to Mayor Ivy Taylor, who stepped up and exemplified the leadership necessary to bring both sides together. Now its time for us to move on to rebuilding the morale and well-being of our Department to ensure we are protecting the community we serve.