Council defers police pay decision after heated public comment
Last night, the Oro Valley Town Council voted 6-0 to defer a decision on approving a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the police union. The Council asked staff to return in two weeks with substantiating data on two wage proposals. Because Town staff and the union could not reach agreement, it is now up to the Town Council to decide the terms.
Four hours of discussion
The decision followed four hours of deliberation, including more than an hour of public comment. Some of the speakers were former Oro Valley officials who urged the Council to support the police. The meeting followed days of heated social media activity, which LOVE chose not to report due to its sensational and highly political tone. Several speakers accused the Council of not supporting public safety—a "third rail" of Oro Valley politics. However, the Council was not involved in negotiating the MOU. That responsibility rests solely with town staff.
Goal: Match Tucson police pay
The MOU defines how much police officers are paid, including base salary and wages. The goal seems to be to match City of Tucson police pay. To do this, some police officers—particularly those at entry-level steps—would receive pay increases of about 13% in the first year under either proposal. However, average increases across all ranks would be around 11.65% under the union plan and 4.96% under the Town’s offer.
Slow going negotiations that stalled
The Town and the police unions have been in negotiations since September 2024, seeking competitive pay to retain and attract officers. The union claimed that an impasse was reached when the Town withdrew an offer made a few weeks earlier—an offer the union said it was prepared to seriously consider. According to a union representative speaking at the meeting: "The unions were told that the offer that was at last on the table would bankrupt the town so had to be withdrawn." A new MOU must be in place by July 1.
2026 TMRB budget impact anticipated
No funding for the proposed salary increases is currently included in the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget for FY 2026, a budget that is currently under consideration.
