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 Firefighters Association for the Period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
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ABSTRACT
The City of Murrieta (City) and the Murrieta Firefighters Association (MFA) 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 MFA. 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. 26-4947 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 Firefighters Association for the Period July 1, 2026, Through June 30, 2029.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On June 3, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-4833, adopting and implementing a successor Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Murrieta and the Murrieta Firefighters 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 Firefighters Association (MFA or Association), adopted by City Council Resolution No. 25-4833 covering the period July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026 (MFA MOU 2023-26), is set to expire June 30, 2026. MFA currently represents 59 City employees, including 27 Firefighters/Paramedics, 15 Fire Engineers, and 17 Fire Captains.
The labor representatives of the City and MFA commenced labor negotiations for a successor MOU with their first meeting on March 3, 2026. The parties met again on March 18, 2026, April 3, 2026, April 9, 2026, April 27, 2026, May 4, 2026, and May 13, 2026. The labor representatives of the City and MFA 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 MFA 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 MFA have executed it, subject to final approval by the City Council. Staff has prepared a Resolution No. 26-4947 (Attachment 1) for the City Council to consider approving the executed Tentative Agreement for a successor MFA 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.
• One thousand dollar ($1,000) increase to the Paramedic License Incentive, from five thousand ($5,000) to six thousand ($6,000) per year.
• A new two-thousand-dollar ($2,000) per year Longevity Pay incentive after ten (10) years of continuous employment with the City.
A fully executed copy of the Tentative Agreement is attached to Resolution No. 26-4947 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 MFA MOU for the period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, is $3,220,424. This includes vacant and new positions authorized in the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Operating Budget. The fiscal impact for Fiscal Years 2027/28 and 2028/29 will be included in the next proposed biennial budget.
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Fiscal Year 2026/27 |
$ 578,560 |
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Fiscal Year 2027/28 |
$ 1,064,001 |
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Fiscal Year 2028/29 |
$ 1,577,863 |
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Total |
$ 3,220,424 |
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Resolution No. 26-4947