TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Diego Chavez, Administrative Services Director
PREPARED BY: Michelle Tamez, Senior Human Resources Analyst
SUBJECT:
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Approving a Tentative Agreement for a Successor Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Murrieta and the Murrieta Fire Management Association for the Period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
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ABSTRACT
The City and the Murrieta Fire Management Association (MFMA) have successfully completed negotiations for a successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The parties reached a Tentative Agreement addressing wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment for employees represented by MFMA. The Tentative Agreement has been ratified by the Association and is being presented to the City Council for consideration and approval. Upon approval of the Tentative Agreement, the parties will prepare a successor MOU which will establish the negotiated terms for the agreement period and support the City's continued commitment to maintaining competitive compensation, operational effectiveness, and fiscal responsibility.
RECOMMENDATION
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Adopt Resolution No. 26-4948 entitled: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Approving a Tentative Agreement for a Successor Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Murrieta and the Murrieta Fire Management Association for the Period July 1, 2026, Through June 30, 2029.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On April 1, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-4818, adopting and implementing a successor Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Murrieta and the Murrieta Fire Management Association for the period July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026 (Vote: 5-0).
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
This item aligns with the City Council to: maintaining a high performing organization that values fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability and organizational efficiency relating to an administrative priority. The Tentative Agreement supports employee recruitment and retention, operational effectiveness, and the City's long-term financial planning objectives.
DISCUSSION
Through the process of collective bargaining, the City of Murrieta (City) periodically negotiates with the respective employee organizations for the purpose of establishing and/or updating compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment for their represented employees, including tentative agreements for successor Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) affecting compensation and benefits. All such agreements must be voted on and passed by a majority of each affected employee organization’s membership (ratification) and subsequently approved by the City Council before becoming effective. Once approved by the City Council, the terms of tentative agreements for successor MOUs are immediately effective but are also then memorialized in the successor MOU or through MOU amendments and brought back to the City Council for final approval.
The current MOU between the City and the Murrieta Fire Management Association (MFMA or Association), adopted by City Council Resolution No. 25-4818 covering the period July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026 (MFMA MOU 2023-26), is set to expire June 30, 2026. MFMA currently represents four City employees, including one (1) Division Chief, and three (3) Battalion Chiefs.
The labor representatives of the City and MFMA commenced labor negotiations for a successor MOU with their first meeting on March 11, 2026. The parties met again on March 25, 2026; April 9, 2026; April 27, 2026; May 4, 2026, May 14, 2026, and May 29, 2026. The labor representatives of the City and MFMA have met and conferred in good faith and have come to a ratified Tentative Agreement on a fair and equitable package of compensation and benefits for a successor MFMA MOU covering the period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) (Government Code sections 3500-3511) and the City's Employer-Employee Relations Resolution No. 93-214.
The members of the Association have voted to ratify the Tentative Agreement, and the labor representatives of the City and the MFMA have executed it, subject to final approval by the City Council. Staff has prepared Resolution No. 4948 (Attachment 1) for the City Council to consider approving the executed Tentative Agreement for a successor MFMA MOU for the period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
As negotiated, the proposed Tentative Agreement for a successor MOU includes the following compensation and benefit terms:
• Two percent (2%) base salary Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), effective the pay period beginning July 12, 2026.
• Two percent (2%) base salary COLA effective July 11, 2027.
• Two percent (2%) base salary COLA effective July 9, 2028.
• Three thousand six hundred dollars ($3,600) per year Paramedic License Incentive.
• A new two-thousand-dollar ($2,000) per year Longevity Pay incentive after ten (10) years of continuous employment with the City.
• Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per year Education Pay Incentive for the Fire Division Chief classification if they have attained a master’s degree. The Fire Division Chief may receive either the existing bachelor’s degree educational incentive or the master’s degree educational incentive, but not both.
• Up to forty-eight (48) hours of City-paid bereavement leave for 56-hour employees.
• Up to thirty-four (34) hours of City-paid bereavement leave for 40-hour employees.
A fully executed copy of the Tentative Agreement is attached to Resolution No. 26-4948 as Exhibit A.
PUBLIC NOTICING
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
FISCAL IMPACT
The projected fiscal impact of implementing the MFMA MOU for the period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, is $401,177. This includes vacant and new positions authorized in the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Operating Budget. A budget adjustment for Fiscal Year 2026/27 will be included in the First Quarter Budget update. The fiscal impact for fiscal years 2027/28 and 2028/29 will be included in the next proposed biennial budget.
|
Fiscal Year 2026/27 |
$ 78,420 |
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Fiscal Year 2027/28 |
$ 126,183 |
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Fiscal Year 2028/29 |
$ 196,574 |
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Total |
$ 401,177 |
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Resolution No. 26-4948