Villa Grove board OKs contract with police

VILLA GROVE – After months of negotiations, the Villa Grove City Council has approved its first union contract with the police department. The three-year contract covers three full-time police officers, and according to Mayor Ron Hunt, the agreement with Teamsters Local 26 will not affect police department operations nor will it warrant any reductions in the police force or their services. The agreement serves to separate the police force from other city employees, he said.

Hunt thinks the arrangement might even save the city some money in the long run. The first year of the contract calls for an increase in overall wages totaling about $4,000. After the first year, the increases will be close to what has typically been offered. The benefits negotiated in the new contract will cost the city about $4,000 less annually.

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