Deputies’ starting pay now in line with GPD

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The new union contract between the county and the sheriff’s deputies went into effect Sunday.

The contract gives deputies working for the department an immediate 7 percent increase in salary as well as cost of living increases for the next four years if the county also approves cost of living wage increases for county employees.

Ron Williams, head of the county’s local for the Fraternal Order of Police union, said the contract had “100 percent support” from union members.

The contract had received the support of the union members before it was presented last week to members of the county commission but because the county wanted it to run for four years instead of three, it had to go back to the union membership for ratification, which also occurred last week.

The reason for the extra year is that two of the current commissioners — Chairman Billy Moore and Ernest Becenti Jr. — will be having to step down in three years because of term limitations and a four-year contract would allow the new commission, instead of the current one, to negotiate the new contract

County Attorney Doug Decker said there is still one paragraph in the contract that needs to be reviewed but this was so minor that it wasn’t going to hold up the contract from going into effect.

The contract will bring the starting pay for a beginning deputy in the sheriff’s office up to $36,636, which Williams said is comparable to what the city police department is offering.

“That is still a lot less than the state police department is offering, but we wanted to be more compatible with Gallup,” Williams said

McKinley County Sheriff Frank Gonzales, who Williams said deserves a lot of credit for standing behind his officer’s request for higher wages, said he felt the new wage schedule will help with retention.

“This will provide a decent living,” Gonzales said, adding that his support for the pay increase was based in part on paying enough so that officers would enjoy working here.
“We have a lot of good people working here,” he said. “I would hate to see people leave (just for more pay).”

Williams, who added that the union also appreciates the support it has received from the county commission, said that conditions under Gonzales have been better for most officers than they were under his predecessor, Felix Begay.

“I can say it was a lot easier negotiating this contract than it was a year ago negotiating it under Begay,” he said.
Gonzales said another thing that worked in the union’s favor was that the county had extra funds and could afford the increase.

“It had to be done and this was the time to do it,” he said.
The cost to the county for the increase, with benefits, is estimated to be about $120,000 a year.