Grayslake police get raises in new contract

Grayslake village board members are lauding a recently approved five-year contract with the police union that provides officers annual raises.

Under the contract retroactive to May 1, Grayslake’s 23 full-time officers — excluding sergeants — will receive 2 percent raises this year and in 2012, followed by a 2.5 percent hike in 2013 and 3 percent salary increases in 2014 and 2015.

Fraternal Order of Police union members ratified the contract July 19. Grayslake village board trustees did so later in the day after Mayor Rhett Taylor said he heartily endorsed the deal.

Taylor said the raises are within Grayslake’s budget.

“We’re very happy to have this (contract) come before the village board,” Taylor said. “I think it reflects that commitment by our police staff that they worked very hard to make sure that an agreement came to us in a very agreeable fashion, and they have indicated that they are happy to be working here.”

Trustee Shawn Vogel said a second consecutive police contract covering five years is “really unheard of” in other suburbs.

“I think it is a testament to both parties working together to make Grayslake financially stable and give everybody a win-win in terms of a labor agreement,” Vogel said.

Grayslake police also patrol neighboring Hainesville under a three-year contract between the villages that started in July 2010. Cost considerations led Hainesville to eliminate its police department.

In neighboring Gurnee, village board members Monday night will be asked to approve a one-year contract with the FOP retroactive to May 1. Gurnee officers received a 5 percent raise in May 2010.

Police in Round Lake Park in May struck their first union deal with the village that’ll provide a 1 percent raise this year and 2 percent hike in 2012.