Simi Valley Council Informally Ratifies Police Pay Agreement

The Simi Valley City Council on Monday night “ratified in concept” a tentative contract with the union representing the city’s police officers, Mayor Greg Stratton said.

Stratton said the council reviewed the agreement, reached Wednesday, and informally approved it during a closed session that lasted less than an hour. The mayor said the action was not legally binding, but more “a statement of intent.”

Formal approval is expected at the council’s public session Monday.

“It’s a continued positive step in the direction towards getting it finalized,” Stratton said.

The Simi Valley Police Officers Assn. and the city reached a tentative agreement after bitter negotiations that included a three-week deadlock. Stratton and other officials have declined to disclose details of the agreement until it is formally approved by the council, but sources say it is a four-year contract that grants the union wage parity with certain police departments in Southern California cities of similar size.

Union members ratified the agreement last week.