The Houlton Town Council has ratified a police union contract after months of negotiations.
The three-year Maine Association of Police, Patrolman/Dispatcher and Command Unit Union Contract for Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028, will bring retroactive raises to officers and dispatchers whose pay was previously below other County law enforcement wages.
The police and dispatchers union has been without a contract since Dec. 31. While it will vary by actual hours worked, including overtime, the agreement approved Monday means police and dispatchers will get raises as well as approximately $7,200 or more in retroactive pay.
“I am pleased the council recognized and supported a wage increase for our HPD officers and dispatchers to reflect increases throughout the region,” Police Chief Tim DeLuca said Tuesday. “This will allow us to recruit and retain the quality individuals required to be a Houlton police officer.”
Additionally, it shows that the council prioritizes the safety of citizens, he added.
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Houlton police will get a $5 per hour increase, bringing an entry-level patrol salary from $26.09 per hour to $31.09 per hour. In the next two years of the contract, union employees will get an additional $1.50 per hour each year, bringing the entry level rate to $34.09 per hour in 2028.
The department has faced several setbacks in recent months with five resignations since last fall. Four of the five officers who resigned did it to take on higher paying roles with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, according to DeLuca.
Until new officers are hired and trained, DeLuca and Captain Jasmine Cyr are also working patrol shifts, DeLuca said.
The starting pay for an entry level officer in Houlton was $26.09 per hour prior to Monday’s raise. Starting pay for sheriff’s deputies is $35.20, for Presque Isle Police, $30.37, and for Caribou officers, $32.71, according to public records.
“We recognized that we were below market and we needed to do something to address that to maintain the officers we have and attract new ones,” Interim Town Manager Nancy Ketch said.
New Town Manager Amber Jones took the helm Monday and was not part of the union negotiations.
DeLuca did not actively recruit while the contract was being negotiated, but now that it has been ratified with the bumped-up salaries, he plans a big recruitment initiative.
In addition to salary increases, the police, who already have cell phones in cruisers, will each get work cell phones for on-call duty or when they might be called about a case.
The Juneteenth holiday was also added to the contract.
“I think they are pleased with the contract and pleased that the council recognized adjustments needed to be made,” DeLuca said. “The officers are appreciative of that.”
Other municipal contracts recently ratified by the council include union contracts for firefighters and drivers, emergency medical technicians, public works and general government workers.
Some highlights from the new contracts include an EMT shift differential for night transfers to other hospitals such as Bangor or Boston. Firefighters get a clothing allowance increase and a stipend for advancing skill levels.
Public works and general government contract changes were minimal, according to Ketch.
