UPDATED: 11:16 pm MST July 27, 2010

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Amid heated contract negotiations with the city, the Chandler Law Enforcement Association sent a letter to the Chandler Mayor and City Council on Monday that accuses city brass of balancing the budget on the backs of the rank and file.

The letter said that while the council and vice mayor got a 48 percent pay increase last year that bumped their salaries to $20,000, and the mayor’s salary went up nearly $10,000 to $36,000, many officers took a cut to their benefits.

“The burden is not being shared equally,” said Shawn Hancock, president of CLEA, which represents about 260 rank and file officers.

Hancock said officers were promised merit increases until they reach the top of their pay classification at time of hire.

“We took that hit last year while no top city officials took any cut of any kind. Now, we’re being asked to do it again this year if we want those merit increases, and we feel like we’ve given enough and taken enough cuts,” said Hancock.

Hancock said some officers are being asked to give up holiday pay and sick leave accrual, which would save the city about $370,000.

The mayor said the city simply doesn’t have the money to offer the increases folks are used to.

“What has happened was that the merit increase was so automatic that police officers were hired expecting this. No one expected the downturn that we’ve seen. We’ve just asked all employees to work through this,” said Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn.

The union also took issue with multi-million dollar construction projects, including the new city hall facility currently under construction.

“It rivals cities three times its size with all the expensive upgrades. They also voted to put $1.7 million of furniture in to furnish it new,” said Hancock.

“There’s ongoing money and there’s one-time money, and some of the projects, like City Hall, is from savings we’ve built up over 20 years,” said Dunn. “You need to keep your one-time money separate from ongoing money because one-time money will run out.”

The city council is expected to discuss the issue at a council meeting Thursday.

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