The union representing police officers in Butler has effectively rejected a request from council that it put off negotiations on a new contract for one year, city officials said Monday.

Officers at the department are represented by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32, which sent a certified letter to Mayor Tom Donaldson on Friday.

In it, Donaldson said, the FOP declared itself ready to begin negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. The letter did not directly address council's request, which according to a May 5 memo the unions have until May 23 to respond.

Donaldson said he responded to the FOP on Monday with his own letter agreeing to begin negotiations, though no timetable or meeting dates have yet been set. The city's new fiscal year begins Jan. 1, 2018.

“Myself and the FOP negotiated a good contract three years ago and we look forward to the same this year,” Donaldson said. “Election year or not, this is an obligation to fulfill.”

Council members agreed in an executive session last month to send a memo to the three unions — FOP 32, IAFF Local 114 and AFSCME Local 757 — representing city employees.

According to Donaldson and council members Mike Walter and Kathy Kline, city officials wanted the unions to agree to a one-year extension of their current contracts, which are all three-year deals set to expire on Dec. 31.

Walter said delaying negotiations would help city officials during a busy election year in which two council seats and the mayor's office are up for grabs.

“It was suggested by some citizens, and that's why I presented it,” Walter said. “The city is perfectly ready and willing to negotiate.”

Kline said she was for extending the current contract because the move would have resulted in wage savings for the city.

According to the council memo, if the unions agreed to extend their contracts for one year it would have frozen all aspects of the deals, like wages and health care contributions, in place.

“For me it has nothing to do with the elections,” Kline said. “It has to do with saving the city dollars.”

City clerk Mindy Gall said a wage freeze would “absolutely” save the city money, but there were no estimates immediately available on how much such a move would save, she said.

For Donaldson, however, putting off contract talks while the city holds mayoral and council elections isn't a viable option. He criticized Walter, who is running against him in next week's GOP primary election, for proposing the idea.

“I'm not saying that (a wage freeze) couldn't be the outcome, but you have to negotiate with them,” Donaldson said. “It's our obligation and our duty as elected officials. It's a contract year and just coincidentally an election year.”

With the police union effectively declining to take up the city's request, Gall and Donaldson said it's highly unlikely that the other unions will agree to entertain a contract extension and wage freeze.

But as of Monday evening the city had not received any responses from those bargaining units, Gall said.

Council members Kenny Bonus and Corey Roche did not return messages left seeking comment.