EVANS CITY — The Evans City/Seven Fields Regional Police union has a new five-year contract after the police commission voted to ratify it Monday night at its meeting.

The police union, which represents three full-time and six part-time officers, approved the new collective bargaining agreement Sept. 17.

The new agreement will run through the end of 2022. It gives annual increases to police officers each year of the contract and a one-time signing bonus of $1,000 for full-time and part-time police officers, said Tom Smith, borough manager of Seven Fields and police administrator.

Officers will get increases of 4 percent in each of the first two years, 3.5 percent in the third and fourth years and 3 percent in the fifth year.

“Everybody is happy,” said Cpl. Scott Longdon, president of the police's wage and policy unit.

The police union filed for Act 111 arbitration in mid-August as the two sides had not yet come to an agreement for the contract that expires at the end of the year, but it was strictly a procedural move, Longdon said. However both the union and police commission continued negotiating and eventually came to an agreement.

Smith said the union asked for an expansion of the health care plan, which currently covers only employees, but they decided against it in the final agreement.

“Ultimately we agreed that we would not do that at this time due to the financial ramifications,” he said.

The new contract also establishes a tax-deferment 457 plan, a supplemental government retirement plan similar to a 401(k), with no employer contribution and created a paid time off benefit for part-time officers with one day per 520 hours worked with no annual carry-over days or cash value.

Longdon said the five-year agreement is good for everyone as it allows the police commission and officers to plan ahead.

Smith said they would like to increase the force from three full-time officers to five within the next few years.

“I thought it was important for us to obtain a five-year agreement with the bargaining unit and provide a decent annual increase yet maintain our position on health care and move forward with our plan to hire additional full-time officers,” Smith said.