National City council approves pay raises for police officers, acting city manager

The National City council on Tuesday approved a new labor agreement with the National City Police Officers’ Association and authorized a temporary salary increase for Police Chief Alejandro Hernandez, who has been filling dual roles as acting city manager since December.

The approved agreement concerns a three-and-a-half-year contract with the NCPOA covering the period from Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. NCPOA members voted to ratify the agreement on Jan. 27, 2026, carrying an estimated citywide cost of approximately $3.5 million in additional labor costs, of which $1.2 million impacts the current fiscal year budget.

Mayor Ron Morrison acknowledged the budget impact while arguing the expenditure was justified.

“It’s kind of a hard bite when you’re looking at an over a million-dollar increase in the budget for that one department, but it is well-deserved,” Morrison said during the meeting.

Under the new contract, officers will receive a retroactive market-rate salary adjustment to July 2025, followed by 5% raises in May 2026 and May 2027. The agreement also reinstates a lateral recruitment bonus program offering up to $30,000 to officers hired from other agencies, paid out in three installments over two years.

Additional changes include an expansion of compensatory time limits from 130 to 200 hours and an extension of the take-home vehicle area to include up to 30 miles beyond San Diego County’s borders with Orange, Imperial and Rive...