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Campbell mayor works to settle police contract
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Campbell Mayor George Krinos
By Jeanne Starmack
CAMPBELL
The city’s mayor says he is talking with police to renegotiate a contract that city council is fighting in court.
The council’s suit against the Fraternal Order of Police is pending, said Mayor Bill VanSuch, while talks continue.
The council took the union to court in October after the city’s former mayor, George Krinos, negotiated a contract that gave $1-an-hour raises to six of the city’s 12 police officers. Krinos waived fact-finding in the negotiations and allowed a state mediator to decide the wage issue. He would not tell The Vindicator why.
The contract also attempted to take away council’s right to decide how many officers the police department can have, and it tried to give that right to the mayor.
Council contended that the city’s charter gives council that right, and the contract can’t override the charter. The city’s residents would have to vote on an amendment to the charter to change it, VanSuch said.
He said he is continuing to try to settle the dispute. He said it’s possible an agreement will be reached by the end of this week.
VanSuch said the issue over who has the right to decide police staffing levels is settled. He said the council will keep that right.
He said talks are continuing about a wage increase. The increase would cost the city an additional $16,500 a year, the city’s finance director, Sherman Miles, has said.