Novi Police Dept. Command Officers set an example
August 25, 2010

At Monday's Novi City Council meeting, a new union contract was approved between the City and the Novi Police Command Officer's Union. This agreement provides for $48,000 in savings to the City, or about $4,000 for each of the twelve officers in the union.

The new contract includes rolling back salaries to 2009 levels and keeping them there through 2013. It also includes $875 per person in reduced health care benefits. In exchange, the City has agreed to extend the contract through 2013.

This agreement is a fine example of negotiation and willingness to work for the betterment of all, and coming from Novi PD that doesn't surprise us. This is the only City of Novi union that has agreed to concessions, and one of few unions that wasn't operating under an expired contract.

In our opinion, it's also one of the groups that weren't overpaid in the first place.

Most other unions in the state, and local area for that matter, would rather see their own members laid off than take any sort of pay cut. Problem is, we still need to operate a City, and with revenue from property taxes declining over the past couple years, that's increasingly difficult to do.

Police officers take years to properly train. Police command officers have many more years of experience, which makes them very valuable employees of the City. We'd hate to see even one go for any reason.

This agreement ensures we can keep these valuable employees through the difficult times, and ensures they will continue to provide the City with the excellent police services we've come to expect in Novi.

We the People are very pleased with the leadership shown by the Novi Police Department Command Officers. We also hope that other unions will learn from the example they have set, for the benefit of their members and the City in general.

Well done people.