MANSFIELD — New contracts for officers in Mansfield’s two police unions are expected to be voted on Tuesday evening during a City Council meeting.
If approved by lawmakers and the two Fraternal Order of Police units, the new contract would be the third labor agreement with the city’s organized labor unions since August 2025.
The city reached a new three-year deal with the International Association of Firefighters Local 266 in January, a deal that includes 12.25-percent wage increases over the life of the deal. That contract was retroactive to April 1, 2025.
That pay increase was in line with what AFSCME Local 3088 received in its three-year contract approved in August 2025. It’s retroactive to May 1, 2024.
The separate agreements scheduled for vote on Tuesday are with the “Gold” unit, representing police command officers (captains, lieutenants and sergeants), and the “Blue” unit, which represents police officers.
Both bargaining units are members of the Fraternal Order of Police, William Taylor Lodge #32. The current contract expired July 31, 2025.
Details of the the new labor deal are not included with the legislation made public at this point. But it does say the new deal will run from Jan. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2028.
The previous deal between the city and the FOP units came in March 2022 when the city only had 74 sworn officers and was in danger of losing more to lateral transfers to other cities.
Eight of those 74 were new officers who just graduated from the police academy and had not yet entered field training for a department then budgeted at 87 officers.
The city’s then-current three-year contract with the Blue and Gold units of the Fraternal Order of Police William Taylor Lodge 32 was not set to expire until July 31, 2022. Council approved retention bonuses at the same time it approved the agreement.
Staffing has since somewhat stabilized. The city hired nine new officers three months ago, aimed at increasing the number of sworn officers in the department to 86, four below current authorized staffing levels of 90.
Chief Jason Bammann said in January the city would seek lateral transfers for one month, beginning Feb. 20, open to any current certified law enforcement officers or students currently enrolled in a police academy.
He said civil service test for new hires would likely be administered in June.
Also on Tuesday, City Council is scheduled to:
— Vote on eight damage claims from residents against the city, totaling $7,230.25. The claims were approved in March by council’s claims committee.
— honor Kim Hildreth, who retired March 31 after more than 30 years with the city, most recently in the engineering department as a project planner. She began her career with the city on March 20, 1995 as a program coordinator in litter control. She helped to develop and coordinate numerous successful programs, including the Shade Tree Commission, Tree City USA, America in Bloom, Mansfield in Bloom, Earth Stewardship, Mansfield Area Beautification, Save Our Streams, Safe Routes to School, Operation Clean Sweep and the city’s municipal stormwater program.
— vote on the administration’s plans to spend 2026 Community Development Block Grant funds and 2026 Home Investment Partnership Program funds, both federal programs.
— vote on the appointment of Jennifer Pennel to the Mansfield Public Arts Commission for a term that expires July 31, 2029.
— vote on the acceptance of a $300 grant from Alpha GMC and $300 from the Owls Nest Lounge to be used by the Mansfield Police Department for its 11th annual Bike-A-Palooza event coming in May.
— vote on changes to Chapter 935 of the city charter regarding sewer use and pretreatment regulations of the Mansfield Wastewater Treatment Plant.
A public utilities meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Council caucus is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the legislative session following immediately thereafter.
(Below is a PDF with the legislation scheduled to come before Mansfield City Council on Tuesday evening.)
