LETTER TO THE

E DITOR Police Wages

To the editor: What a can of worms you have allowed to be opened. In the minutes of the Colby City Council’s December meeting, it was reported that during the wage negotiations with the police department, that it 'included the contributions of Abbyland'. This contribution amounted to $3.00 an hour. So, you have private businesses contributing to the hourly pay of the local law enforcement. Not only does this lend to a fertile ground for all manner of ethical things, it also lends itself to the following, which the taxpayers need to be aware of.

Is this contribution a single bonus amount, that will slowly be drained down until it is gone, or is it in perpetuity? If the contribution is not a forever contribution, what happens to the wages of the police once the money is gone?

One would think that the contract negotiations between the cities and the police are legally separate from any additional 'contributions' from others. When those contributions run out, the wages would have to be returned to the negotiated wages between the cities and the local law enforcement union.

However, I can see the union demanding that the current wages be made whole by both cities, meaning, that $3.00 an hour contribution would have to be made up by a tax increase upon the citizens of both cities.

Those folks that allowed this to happen, both councils and the police commission, need to answer the public of the above questions.

Because I can see those officers saying they will leave if their wages go to negotiated levels between the cities, and both cities will have some explaining to do for their error in judgment.

Dick Lange Colby