By Matt Youngfrau
MONTICELLO — June 18, 2002 – For more than a year and a half, the Sullivan County Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (the PBA, made up of sheriff's deputies) have been without a contract. They had been negotiating a contract with the county, but the two sides reached an impasse.
On Thursday, June 13, it appeared that a contract was agreed upon. It was discussed at the Sullivan County Legislature's General Services Committee meeting, where a resolution was presented to the committee to ratify the contract.
The new contract would be retroactive to January 1, 2001 and would run to December 31, 2003. The contract calls for a 3 percent pay raise for 2001 and 2002 and a 4 percent pay raise for 2003. Steps were also taken to make the deputies' salaries more comparable to other police departments in the area.
"We can now retain outstanding personnel and attract good people in the future," commented County Manager Dan Briggs. "This is an important ingredient in the evolution of the county. This will provide for the future."
The contract also calls for random drug and alcohol testing.
The PBA ratified the contract Wednesday night, June 12. The committee passed the resolution the next day. The contract must still be ratified by the full Legislature at their regular meeting on Thursday. Once the deal has been ratified by both sides, the contract will be signed and immediately go into effect.