CORRECTION – The standoff continues. Regrettably, a few hours after the posting of my first Watchdog column, I received an e-mail from Antioch City Manager Jim Jakel informing me that, unlike police management, the Antioch Police Officers Association (APOA) has NOT yet agreed to contribute to any part of their generous 3% at age 50 retirement package. The City of Antioch continues to pay the WHOLE tab, although APOA does have a reduced Medical after Retirement benefit for new hires. Nor has there been final agreement in regard to pay deferrals. Other employee groups, however, have a second lower tier.

Later this month the Antioch City Council will receive an update from City Manager Jim Jakel in regard to the need for an additional $737,000 cut in the budget. Negotiations, however, with the Antioch Police Officers Association are proving successful.

Police managers, who currently pay nothing into their retirement account, have now agreed to pay a 9% share, which will be phased in over the next few years. Additionally, the six officers given a layoff notice last month will be retained, paid for with non-city funds, including a $100,000 contribution by Auto Center owner Tom Nokes.

Understandably, the police officers union continues to have issues with the current understaffing and employee compensation. APOA didn’t receive a raise last year and has deferred the raise they were due to receive in January. Regrettably, their displeasure lead to the posting of an angry YouTube video and distribution of flyers giving out email addresses and phone numbers of council.

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Looking Forward to a Better One for Antioch

Many things occurred in Antioch this past year, some good, some not so good, and some bad.

We’ll start with The Bad – 12 murders. Five in December. Not a way to end off the year. Of course, I believe there’s a direct correlation to the 22 vacancies for sworn police officers, as well as the 23 Community Service Officers who were all laid off, in addition to the six officers recently given layoff notices, but who for now still have their jobs.

City revenues continued to decline. More budget cuts had to be made and more staff members laid off.

More people lost their homes to foreclosure, and more people were in need of food and clothing in Antioch.

Then there was The Not So Good. There was no 4th of July celebration or fireworks due to the lack of city funds. So the Council canceled them before seeking private funds. By the time a private group starting raising the funds and pursuing the effort, many of the police officers who would normally be in town that day and night had made other plans to be out of town. So it wasn’t to be this year.

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Negotiations between Police and City Continue, Acrimony Calms Down

By Allen Payton, Publisher

According to Antioch Councilman Brian Kalinowski, the six police officers who had received layoff notices before Christmas, still have their jobs.

In a December 30 email, Kalinowski stated “No one has been laid off. Date moved using other than city funds to try to work it out.”

The date he referred to is for negotiating the changes in the contract with the Antioch Police Officers Association (APOA).

When asked if it was because of the $100,000 provided by Tom Nokes, owner of the Antioch Auto Center, Kalinowski replied, “Among other money being tracked down. But yes.”

“[The] new date is January 21 to work it out,” he added. “I am confident we can hammer this out.”

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