FY26-27 MOU with Buckeye Police Association_Signed by Association.pdf

City of Buckeye — Regular Council Meeting (2025-05-06)

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 
BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF BUCKEYE 
AND THE BUCKEYE POLICE ASSOCIATION 
July 1, 2025 June 30, 2027 
WHEREAS, the Buckeye Police Association (the 
 has been Certified as the 
official and exclusive Employee Organization for the City of 
 Police Officers as defined 
by City of Buckeye Code Chapter 3, Article 3-5, Section 3-5-
purposes of Meet and Confer; and 
 
WHEREAS, the Association submitted proposals relating to the wages, hours and working 
conditions of the 
 Police Officers by November 15, 2024, and the City Manager submitted a 
response; and 
 
WHEREAS, the City Manager or designee and representatives of the Association have met 
and conferred at mutually agreed upon times and places for the purpose of purposing a 
Memorandum of Understanding to present to the Mayor and City Council relating to the wages, 
 
WHEREAS, the City Manager, and representatives of the Association, have achieved 
agreement on items to be included in a Memorandum of Understanding to present to the Mayor 
and Council at the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2025. 
NOW, THEREFORE, this Memorandum of Understanding has been prepared by the City 
Manager and the Association for presentation to the Mayor and Council for their consideration, 
with the recommendation to accept the following items to be implemented effective the first 
payroll period of Fiscal Year 2026, or as soon thereafter as they reasonably can be implemented, 
and enforced during Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 in accordance with City of Buckeye 
Code Chapter 3, Article 3-5, Section 3-5-9. 
 
 
WAGES AND HOURS 
1) Salary Structure (Appendix A) 
a) In accordance with City of Buckeye Employee Policies and Guidelines, Policy 300 
members shall be paid on a step system which includes annual 5% steps.  
(1) Approved COLA adjustments shall be applied to Step 1 of Officer pay with all other 
steps adjusted based upon the 5% step structure. 
(2) Police recruits shall be paid at 95% of a step 1 Officer pay. 
(3) Police Sergeants shall be paid 8.4% higher than the top step Officer pay.

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b) Employees at the top step shall receive a lump sum payment following their anniversary 
date based upon the percentage annual (non-COLA) increase provided to the general 
employee group. 
c) 
 
  
2)
For purposes of calculating overtime pay, compensatory time used and industrial related leave to 
attend off-duty appointments shall not be considered time worked and shall be deducted from 
 hours worked. The 
Association recognizes that compensatory time is not considered hours worked as overtime has 
already been paid against that bank of time. Sick, Vacation and Holiday Cash-outs do not count 
towards hours worked. 
3)
An off-duty non-exempt employee who is called back to work prior to his/her regularly scheduled 
starting time and continues to work into the regular shift will be paid for the time worked. An 
employee called in at any other time will be guaranteed a minimum of three (3) hours of pay. 
 
4)
City management will include in the annual wage and classification survey, premium pay for 
specialized assignments including but not limited to: field training, bilingual services, patrol 
sergeants, detective sergeants and detectives, traffic enforcement officers, K-9 and SWAT. 
5)
The regular work hours for Police Officers will typically be either: (i) five shifts of eight 
-
duration in a seven-day period. 
a) Alternative work schedules may be established by the Chief following consultation with 
Association representatives. 
b) When practicable, prior to changing work schedules the Department will provide the 
Association two 
 notice of the change. This paragraph is not a guarantee of a fixed 
number of hours of work per week. 
6)
Schedules for positions in the Employee Group that require immediate response to radio calls may 
include briefing time and 30-minute meal periods. 
7)
When the training, experience, and ability of employees is relatively equal, the Department will 
consider seniority, defined as length of continuous service in a classification, as a factor in making 
decisions concerning work assignments, schedules, and layoffs. 
8)
Shift Differential Pay 
a) Police Officers and Police Sergeants working a swing or graveyard shifts will receive shift 
differential pay for all hours worked on that shift. This additional compensation will be 
considered wages and all applicable tax and benefit withholdings shall apply. 
(1) Swing Shift differential pay for Officers and Sergeants will be equal to 2.5% of the top 
Police Officer step on the current Police Pay Scale. Swing Shift is defined as the 
majority of hours worked after 1100 hours.  
(2) Graveyard Shift differential pay for Officers and Sergeants will be equal to 4.0% of the 
top Police Officer step on the current Police Pay Scale. Graveyard Shift is defined as 
the majority of hours worked after 2000 hours.  
b) Employees who are called back or who are covering another shift for another employee,

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and that shift is eligible for shift differential, and the employee is performing work outside 
their regularly assigned shifts, shall receive shift differential pay. 
c) Shift differential is not paid to employees on paid or unpaid leave. 
9) Stand by Pay (On Call) 
a) Stand by pay is a type of premium pay that is paid to police officers and sergeants who are 
assigned to Specialty units as determined by the Chief of Police in a stand by (on call basis) 
to meet the needs of the department. Procedures for the use of this investigative resource 
are detailed in Buckeye Police Department Policy. 
b) The method of compensation for standby/on call assignment consists of the following: 
(1) One (1) hour of compensation for assigned duty days. 
(2) Two (2) hours of compensation for assigned off duty days.  
10) Field Training Officers (FTO) 
a) Police Officers and Sergeants assigned by, and at the sole discretion of the Police Chief or 
designee and performing as a Field Training Officer or Field Training Sergeant shall receive 
a 5.0% increase to their base hourly rate of pay. 
(1) Police Officers assigned as FTO
 shall receive FTO assignment 
training pay for all hours worked. 
(2) Police Officers and Sergeants assigned as a part-time FTO shall receive FTO 
assignment training pay for all hours worked while 
command to provide newly assigned employees with the initial training necessary.  
11) Specialty Assignment Pay 
a) Full-time sworn police employees assigned to specialty assignments, as defined by the 
Police Chief, shall receive specialty pay which will be equal to 3.0% of the top Police 
Officer step on the current Police Pay Scale.  
(1) Examples of assignments include, but are not limited to, Special Weapons and Tactics 
(SWAT), Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Traffic, and K9. 
(2) Employees shall only receive the Specialty Assignment Pay for a maximum of two (2) 
specialty assignments, regardless of the number of specialty units they are assigned to. 
b) Employees receiving this Specialty Assignment Pay acknowledge the payment will cease 
upon suspension, removal or other departure from any of these teams. This payment is 
considered wages and all applicable payroll deductions will apply. 
 
BENEFITS 
12) The Department may develop a program for every sworn officer to participate in one hour of 
physical fitness training per shift. 
13) If an employee is exposed to an infectious disease while carrying out his or her official duties, 
the City will pay for inoculating the employee if an inoculation is available. 
14) Before providing new benefit programs or changing benefit programs that are provided to the 
Employee Group, the City Manager or his/her representatives will meet with

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representatives to explain the new or changed benefit programs. When practical, the City 
Manager will discuss Association proposals concerning new or changed benefit programs 
before they are implemented. 
15) Uniform Allowance  the uniform allowance shall be paid out semiannually as follows: 
a) $1,100.00 in the paycheck for the first full pay period in July. 
b) $1,100.00 in the paycheck for the first full pay period in January. 
16) The City Manager shall propose a citywide deferred compensation matching contribution in the 
FY2026 Budget. If approved this will apply to all members of the BPA. 
 
ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS (PSU) 
17) Any employee under a criminal and/or administrative investigation shall not be subject to a 
polygraph. 
18) A Buckeye Police Association member employee shall have the right to both attendance by an 
Association Attorney and/or an Association member if so desired during any disciplinary 
procedure at no cost to the City. 
19) The City agrees that the police department disciplinary policies will not be imposed in addition 
to city policy for the purpose of disciplinary procedures. 
20) The Buckeye Police Association will be provided with the opportunity to review and comment 
on any proposed and/or revised police department policy. 
 
OTHER WORKING CONDITIONS 
21) When release time is desired, the Association President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer 
or their designee, will provide the Chief or the 
 designee with written notification to the 
Chief of the request for release time. The written request will state: 
a) (i) the public purpose of the release time and the consideration provided to the City 
in exchange for the release time requested; and (ii) the date(s) and time(s) requested; 
and (iii) the identity of the police officers for whom release time is being requested.  
b) The purpose for which release time may be approved: 
(i) To participate in City-sanctioned committees or sponsored charitable activities; 
(ii) Other legitimate Association business approved by the Chief. 
c) Notice must be submitted seven (7) days in advance except in cases of emergency. 
Release time may be approved if the Chief agrees the request is for a public purpose, 
is supported by adequate consideration to the City and if the time can be 
accommodated in lieu of the operational, staffing and training needs of the 
Department without additional cost to the City. Release time will be reasonable. Total 
release time taken by Association representatives will not exceed a cumulative total 
of five hundred sixty (560) hours per fiscal year. Nothing in this paragraph will be 
construed to permit a violation of any city Policy, rule, regulation or guideline. 
22) Association Board Members may utilize the 
 email system to communicate about the

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business of a certified Employee Organization. Such use will not disrupt work performance or 
normal business activities; will not interfere with the 
 operations; will not compromise the 
security or reputation of the City of Buckeye; will not burden the City with noticeable resource 
utilization or create costs for the City; and will comply with City Policies and Guidelines 
recognize that most email is a public record when sent or received. 
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entity, as long as the distribution does not disrupt work performance or normal business 
activities. 
24) The City will provide bulletin boards for use by a certified Employee Organization to 
communicate with its members. Employees must exercise courtesy, common sense, and decency 
in posting materials. Items which for example are abusive, harassing, defamatory, and/or 
unlawful or violate City policies will not be posted. 
25) The City will provide non-confidential, readily available information requested by a certified 
Employee Organization. The information may include, but is not limited to, information 
concerning the Employee Group, its personnel, benefits data and survey results. 
26) Future External Candidates for Buckeye Police Command Staff  Buckeye Police Association 
members may participate in any public forum for the purpose of meeting final external 
candidates for the positions of Chief of Police, Assistant Chief of Police and other Command 
Staff candidates above the rank of Lieutenant. 
27) During the term of the Memorandum of Understanding, the City Manager or his/her 
representatives or designees may meet with the 
 representatives to discuss revisions 
to the Memorandum of Understanding in view of fiscal or budgetary constraints or 
unanticipated developments. 
Dated this _____ day of _________ 2025 
 
 
 
David B. Roderique 
Jason Woliver 
Interim City Manager 
Buckeye Police Association