Geneva City Council approved a new three-year labor contract with the city’s police union and formally ratified the Geneva Business Improvement District’s bylaws during a short special meeting held December 23.
The meeting focused exclusively on the two agenda items before adjourning. Councilors Whitfield and Grimaldi were absent.
Police union contract approved
City Manager Amie Hendrix presented a tentative successor agreement with Geneva Police Benevolent Association Local 3471 covering the period from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. The existing contract expires at the end of 2025.
Under the agreement, officers will receive wage increases of 4% in each of the three years. Detective pay will continue at a 10% adjustment, described during the meeting as non-compounding. Hendrix said the contract also formalizes changes following a pilot program that shifted officers from eight-hour to 12-hour shifts, a move city officials say has helped reduce overtime.
The agreement includes changes to health insurance benefits for new hires, requiring employee premium contributions for both individual and family coverage, replacing a structure in which the city previously covered 100% of single coverage. Hendrix said the changes were part of a broader effort to control long-term costs.
Additional updates include revisions related to light-duty assignments under Section 207-c and updated drug and alcohol testing language. Hendrix noted the police unit is the first to modernize its testing policy.
Mayor Jim Valentino acknowledged the negotiations were difficult early on but emphasized the long-term fiscal impact of the agreement, particularly related to retiree benefits. Valentino said retiree health costs exceed $3 million annually and described the contract’s concessions as important for the city’s financial future.
The council approved the agreement by roll-call vote, with all members present voting in favor.
BID bylaws formally ratified
The council also approved a resolution ratifying the Geneva Business Improvement District’s bylaws, which went into effect in 2023 but had not previously received formal council approval.
Mayor Valentino characterized the vote as a formality, noting that prior councils were technically supposed to ratify the bylaws but had not done so. Geneva BID Executive Director Sydney Schumacher told council members she discovered the lack of formal approval while working with the BID’s governance committee.
Schumacher said the goal was to ensure the organization was operating properly ahead of more substantive bylaw revisions expected in about six months. She added that ratification was requested before the composition of the city council changes in January.
During discussion, council members asked about the city’s representation on the BID board and the structure of certain seats, including a position designated for a regional college representative. Schumacher explained the seat is intended to represent local institutions such as Hobart and William Smith Colleges or Finger Lakes Community College.
City officials also acknowledged that future discussions could include whether city management should continue holding voting seats on outside boards, though no changes were proposed at this meeting.
The resolution ratifying the bylaws passed unanimously by roll-call vote.
Final action as mayor
Following approval of both resolutions, the council adjourned the meeting. Valentino noted the adjournment marked his final official action as mayor, bringing his political career to a close.
The meeting lasted only a few minutes and concluded without additional business.
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