The Hinesburg Community Police Department seen on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger This story by Briana Brady was first published in The Citizen on Jan. 15, 2026. The Hinesburg police union, recognized by the town last June, has officially inked a contract with the town of Hinesburg. The contract, which will go into effect in July, is set to last until June 2029 and outlines a slew of worker protections and benefits along with a step system for annual pay raises. The contract also comes at a time when Hinesburg is oriented toward building back up its police department, both by hiring a chief and filling out its vacant officer positions. The Hinesburg officers had previously unionized under the Fraternal Order of Police in 2021, but never successfully negotiated a contract. Last year, they organized under the New England Police Benevolent Association and quickly began negotiations, which have been ongoing since the summer. While contract negotiations inevitably lend some question as to whether pay raises or changes in benefits may impact a budget, according to town manager Todd Odit, the contract signed by the selectboard and union representatives will not change any of the calculations for the police budget as it is currently drafted. The selectboard has been debating increasing the number of budgeted officers from five to six, but the calculation for what each officer might cost will not change. The contract lays out a pay schedule that starts with a base wage of $34 an hour. This puts the Hinesburg department fairly in line with other Chittenden County towns and their own police forces. According to various job postings, towns range in starting pay from around $30 in Winooski to over $37 in Burlington. That includes a $34 starting wage in Williston and just over $31 an hour in South Burlington. For departments across Vermont, successful contract negotiations can represent a renewed ability to vie for officers. The state is currently in a police shortage, with active postings in communities across the county that have been open for months or longer. If an officer isn’t happy with their position, it’s not difficult to find another. Right now, Hinesburg only has three officers, including interim police chief Frank Bryan, of the five it has budgeted. In October, in outlining a departmental case for an increased budget, Bryan advocated to increase the base pay to $36 an hour as well as for additional officers. “The more we overwork these guys, the more likely they are to say, ‘hey, I can probably make just as much money, if not more money in another town,’” Bryan said. He added that increases to the budget and base pay would not only help the town retain officers, but hire new ones. There are other elements to the new contract that might be appealing to an incoming officer. For one, there is the possibility for a sign-on bonus of up to $10,000. Additionally, come July, Hinesburg’s officers will have four hours of flexible unpaid leave every month which can be used for things such as attending a child’s parent-teacher conference or bringing an elder to a doctor’s appointment. The officers will also have a labor-management committee to address workplace issues outside of union negotiations. Along with the budget discussions, this contract is also coming into effect as Hinesburg searches for a new police chief. The town hired consultants to conduct a search for applicants and brought on two community members to give feedback on the process. As of Jan. 7, Odit said the town had entered the second round of interviews with candidates. Odit has long contended that stable leadership is imperative to attracting and retaining officers. Should a new chief soon be found, in conjunction with the new union contract, the town may be well positioned to start trying to fill out its roster — whether or not the selectboard approves a budget decision that increases the town’s total officer count from five to six. Read the story on VTDigger here: Hinesburg and new police union agree to three-year contract. ...read more read less