WEATHERSFIELD TOWNSHIP Trustees approve contract with eight police officers

The department will change its sergeants to a lieutenant rank.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERL RIDGE -- Weathersfield Township trustees approved a contract Friday with the township's eight police officers, members of the Ohio Policemen's Benevolent Association, giving them a 9-percent pay raise over three years.
The increase is 4 percent the first year, 3 percent the second and 2 percent in the final year. The contract expires June 30, 2006.
The officers' annual clothing allowance also was increased from $400 to $500.
The officer-in-charge rate was raised from 20 cents to 50 cents an hour. The extra money is paid to officers who are in charge of a shift when no ranking officer is on duty.
A starting patrolman under the new contract will get 69 cents an hour more the first year, 54 cents the second year and 37 cents the third.
Patrol officers' pay goes up from $16.52 an hour to $17.18 in July.
Command structure
The departmental command structure has also been altered, changing sergeants to lieutenants. Township administrator David Pugh said that was done to bring the department more in line with other departments in the area.
The rank designation affects two sergeants, Jim Fines and Michael Stitt. Their pay will not change.
Under the new contract, a lieutenant at $18.39 an hour gets an increase of 74 cents an hour the first year, 57 cents an hour the second year and 39 cents the third year to $20.09 an hour.
Trustees also decided to continue their health coverage for township employees with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield after another bidder they thought would be cheaper changed its rate.
The new policy mirrors the previous plan, but will cost the township $8,000 less a year.
Trustees have changed their regular July meeting to July 2 from July 8 at 7 p.m. in the administration building.