With a 4-0 vote, the Tehachapi City Council approved a new five-year police contract at the June 17 council meeting.

“We felt it was a fair and equitable contract for both sides,” said Tehachapi Police Officers Association President Wayne Horning. “It was a pleasure working with Chief Kroeger and the City of Tehachapi to reach an unheard of five-year agreement,” said Horning.

The new contract reduces the pay scale from 15 steps to five steps for both police officers and senior officers. Officers will receive a 3.6 percent Cost of Living Adjustment, $200 additional uniform allowance in the first and third year of the agreement and there will be shift rotation every four months based on department seniority.

“There was compromise on both sides and we feel we played a role in helping maintain a balanced budget for the city and we became a much more attractive law enforcement agency to work for,” said Horning.

With the new rates, the Tehachapi Police Department now ranks fourth in starting pay compared to surrounding Kern and Los Angeles County agencies (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department). This is also a sustained model for growth allowing the ability to address needs among the department as the City matures while also keeping costs at a respectable level in the City’s general fund.

The contract negotiations between the police union and the city began in April and became official at the recent Tehachapi City Council meeting.

“I couldn’t be happier that our police department and the city could come together on a five-year agreement with the men and women who keep our city safe,” said Greg Garrett City of Tehachapi city manager.