SMPOA is a small POA (20 members) and was among the lowest paid police officers in Los Angeles County.  Sierra Madre, like many cities, was not prioritizing public safety and was diverting funds toward other non-essential city services.  A city with the population of 12,000 people, under prior City leadership, had committed to providing services usually reserved for much larger cities such as a community swimming pool, youth activity center, senior center, and city library on top of having its own fire and police departments.  By providing all of these services, the City was left with little additional funds to properly pay its police officers a fair wage based on the current market.

            As with most negotiations, this one started with an effort by the parties to work together to come up with something that both sides could live with.  This effort was started with then POA President, Ruben Enriquez, and Vice President, John Ford.  The frustration level at the City's reluctance to provide any significant movement caused the Membership to take a more aggressive posture with the City.  After impasse was declared, the City refused to comply with Binding Interest Arbitration (SB 440), maintaining that it was unconstitutional.  Litigation was commenced to require the City to participate in the binding arbitration process.  This litigation as well as reaching out to the community by the POA resulted in a number of city council meetings in which the public strongly voiced their concern for the City's failure to prioritize its police officers.

            Given the City's continued reluctance even in the face of public outcry, further extreme measures were required.  The most significant tact taken was to develop a ballot initiative to submit to the voters of the City that would require the City to pay its police officers a fair wage and provide fair benefits.  The initiative was drafted and circulated by the POA for the requisite number of signatures (15% of registered voters).  The ballot initiative qualified and was certified for the April 8, 2008 citywide election. 

            With the continued public outcry and the City's realization of the fast approaching ballot initiative election, it finally began to seriously consider the POA's position.  While the POA felt confident in being successful in the ballot initiative, the polling it had done indicated a growing opposition to the initiative based on a contingent of the community claiming the library would have to be shut down to pay for the cost of the salary and benefit increases that would be required with passage of the initiative.  The parties, after several long sessions of negotiations that included the City Manager and the Mayor, finally reached resolution that both sides could live with.

            The resulting contract calls for a 32% pay increase over three years spread out to be 15% in year one, 9% in year two, and 8% in year three.  Additionally, the City agreed to maintain its police officers' medical contributions at the same level it provides the other city employees during the term of the agreement.  Part of the agreement included the POA abandoning its ballot initiative and support an initiative placed on the ballot by the City Council to increase the utility user's tax in order to fund the salary and benefit increases called for in the agreement.

 Although Sierra Madre is a small police association, it was able to successfully go through this battle with the help of its many friends.  The current POA President, John Ellins, who picked up the torch from the prior POA leadership to continue this fight, was very active in the local PORAC chapter.  Without hesitation, other local POAs as well as PORAC, itself, stepped to the plate to help Sierra Madre in its time of need both with moral support such as showing up at city council meetings as well as providing financial assistance to help in the costly litigation and ballot initiative process.  This victory truly is an example of PORAC and fellow POA's sticking together to help the little guy in their time of need.