First Selectman Vicki Tesoro announced today her administration’s intention to commence negotiations with the Trumbull police union in order to offer a pension to police officers hired after July 1, 2014, and going forward.
Tesoro stated, “through a collective bargaining process with the police union the previous administration took away a pension for police officers hired after July 1, 2014, without thinking through the ramifications of such an action. My administration has taken a reasoned, deliberate approach to restoring a police pension to improve the town’s ability to hire and retain police officers.
We engaged an independent third-party to determine the cost, researched approaches utilized by other communities, and studied the impact such a restoration would have on our taxpayers.”
Tesoro said, “I have directed my Human Resources Director to contact the police union to commence negotiations. My commitment to public safety and my support of our excellent officers has never wavered. This is another example of my commitment to doing the right thing, the right way.”
Police departments across the state and country have seen increasing challenges hiring and retaining police officers over the last couple of years. Based on feedback from the police commission, the Chief of Police, and the police officers themselves, the restoration of a pension plan should remove a major barrier to hiring and retaining police officers in our Town.
“Trumbull is a safe community,” said Tesoro. “I’m grateful to our police for their hard work to maintain our great reputation in this region.”