The Herndon Town Council voted this week to authorize collective bargaining with officers in the town’s police department.
Unanimously passed on Tuesday (Aug. 11) with the exception of one absent member, the ordinance permits police employees to negotiate hourly wages and annual base salaries, and an advance pay program through a union.
However, the collective bargaining authority doesn’t extend to other concerns, such as leave, overtime pay, or retirement.
The town had received a petition and proposed ordinance from Herndon Police Department employees on April 22 seeking authorization of collective bargaining. The town was required by Virginia law to vote on the ordinance before Aug. 20.
“At the onset of this and the request, we made it very clear as a body internally that we have great value for HPD and the community has great trust,” said Herndon Mayor Kevin LeBlanc. “And there’s a very strong relationship between HPD, the town staff, this body, and the public. And at all levels, we support HPD and the great work that you’ve all done, and continue to do, for our community.”
Two people spoke during a public comment period before the vote, urging the council to adopt the ordinance.
“There are three issues that we believe deserve particular attention in Herndon: retention, pay compression, and incentives for professional certifications,” said Steve Monahan, president of the Fairfax County chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association (SSPBA), who spoke in support of the Herndon employees.
Monahan said a competitive pay structure is key to retaining experienced officers with institutional knowledge and to alleviating pay compression — ensuring “supervisors and experienced personnel are appropriately compensated for their additional responsibility, experience and leadership.”
“Collective bargaining provides a mechanism to address those issues systematically, rather than waiting until they become a crisis,” he added.
The union also advocated for incentives for officers who obtain certifications to fill instructional or specialist positions that need significant training.
“We in this area face intense regional competition for highly trained officers,” John Wallace, a Herndon police detective, said. “We are losing experienced personnel to neighboring jurisdictions that offer better pay benefits and collective bargaining. We’ve lost several officers to the federal system. Collective bargaining is the strongest recruitment and retention tool. It signals that our town is modern and a competitive employer.”
Following implementation of a collective bargaining agreement, starting salaries for Arlington County police officers jumped from just over $72,000 to about $90,000 this summer. Fairfax County approved its first contract with the Fairfax chapter of the SSPBA in December 2023.
Council members praised the new ordinance as helping Herndon retain talent and stay competitive with local jurisdictions.
“I’m happy that Herndon has taken this very proactive leadership role in this case … It is aligned with the local area,” said Councilmember Cesar del Aguila, who volunteers as a reserve deputy with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s office. “I think it will bring some stability and some leverage for the town to maintain some talent here.”
With the ordinance’s approval, the town will now be tasked with appointing a labor relations administrator to oversee the collective bargaining process. The official will be appointed for a four-year term by Town Manager Dan Hoffman, subject to the town council’s confirmation.
HPD officers must also elect an exclusive bargaining agent to represent them in contract negotiations.
Once a union or other employee organization submits a petition to be that representative, an election would be held within 45 calendar days, with rival organizations getting 10 days to file their petitions. The organizations must secure signatures from at least 30% of the workers they would represent to appear on the ballot.
