FARMINGTON — The Select Board approved a new contract Tuesday for the Farmington Police Department, including wage increases, stipends and updated benefits for officers.
The agreement with the Maine Association of Police runs through June 2029.
Town Manager Erica LaCroix said that once the Teamsters finalize ratification of the Public Works Department contract, all of the town’s labor agreements will be settled for the same period covered by the police contract.
The new police contract provides employees with a $1 hourly raise this fiscal year, followed by increases of $1.50 in 2028 and $2 in 2029.
“That was based on a wage study, mostly so that we could compete with the county,” LaCroix said.
She said wages dominated the negotiations. The town had budgeted a 95‑cent hourly increase, meaning the Police Department’s wage lines will end the year slightly over budget.
The police contract includes a $1‑per‑hour stipend for sergeants while they are on call. The town also reinstated a shift differential that had been in the previous contract but did not match the department’s schedule.
Under the new agreement, officers will receive an additional $1 per hour for work between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Other changes include a health reimbursement of $1,500 for employees with individual plans and $3,000 for those with dependents. Education stipends were increased from $1,000 to $2,000 for officers with an associate degree; from $2,500 to $4,000 for those with a bachelor’s degree; and from $4,000 to $6,000 for those with a master’s degree.
Officers with military service previously received $1,000. Under the new contract, reservists will receive $2,000, and those with qualifying active duty service will receive $4,000.
Vacation time was increased, but new restrictions apply. Employees must take at least one uninterrupted nine‑day break each year, though not all nine days must come from vacation time.
Employees may carry over up to 240 hours annually and may cash out up to 40 hours beyond that. Any additional time will be forfeited.
LaCroix said many of the changes were not substantive but were aimed at cleaning up outdated language and reorganizing the agreement so references appear in the correct articles.
She said the contract also brings the town into compliance with new state laws, including those governing paid family leave.
“We both simplified it and made it compliant,” LaCroix said. “That was a big emphasis on this contract – to make sure that we brought everything into legal compliance with current HR (human resources) law.”
The contract calls for at least two meetings a year between the town and the union to give both sides a chance to communicate, analyze issues and head off potential problems. More dialogue before formal negotiations begin, everyone agreed, could be helpful going forward.
Board members and representatives from the Police Department said reviewing agreements from other towns and cities was also useful for comparing salaries and benefits.
Farmington’s roster of officers is now full after Detective Brandon Sholan was sworn in Aug. 31. In the past, it has been difficult to maintain a full roster, in part because officers have left for positions that paid more.
After unanimously approving the contract, the board set the effective date for the retroactive terms. Although members could have gone back to April 1, they voted 4-1 to make July 1 the start date.
Select Board Chairman Matthew Smith, who served on the negotiating committee, said the Maine Association of Police representative made the process, which began in January, “miserable” for the town.
Smith and others said their interactions with local officers were not an issue, but the overall process had been frustratingly drawn out, with too many interruptions and not enough communication.
“The whole process was very hard to get through,” LaCroix said. “A lot of times, it felt like you were trying to negotiate blindfolded. I really wish we could have talked to the membership and really gotten some valuable feedback as to what was really important to the group as a whole.”
LaCroix was not alone in her frustrations.
“It cost us a lot of money. We spent a lot of time with our lawyers,” Smith said. “I can’t support anything prior to Sept. 1, myself.”
LaCroix estimated the town spent $20,000 on legal consultations.
Smith opposed the motion to set the terms of the contract retroactive to July 1, noting that his objection was based on principle rather than cost.
The Farmington Fire Rescue Department announced a trio of promotions: one for a new officer and two for existing lieutenants who will be given new titles.
The department has been seeking to fill an open captain’s position. As part of the process, it updated its organizational structure, shifting from one captain and two lieutenants to three captains. Each captain will be assigned to a 24‑hour shift, followed by 48 hours off duty.
“It just kind of, more or less, streamlines our operation,” Chief Timothy “TD” Hardy said. “All three of them will do the same job with the same responsibility.”
Stan Wilcox was promoted to captain as of Sept. 1 after completing an interview process.
Jonathan Alexander and Joseph Hastings were also promoted from lieutenant to captain.
The lieutenant and captain positions were previously on the same pay scale, so the realignment does not increase costs for the town.
