HUNTINGTON BEACH City Council (Tribune photo).

A divided Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday approved a three-year contract with the Huntington Beach Police Management Association that calls for a 17 percent pay increase over three years.

The vote was 4-3 with councilmembers Butch Twining, Andrew Gruel, Don Kennedy and Gracey Van Der Mark in favor.
Opposed were council members Don Kennedy and Pat Burns, along with Mayor Casey McKeon.

That deal was similar to one earlier voted for the Huntington Beach Police Officers Association which was also approved on a 4-3 vote.

Both “memorandums of understanding” required dipping into municipal reserves at a time when the city is spending more than it’s taking in in tax revenue and other income sources.

This contract calls for the city to take $270,000 from reserves in the first year of the deal.

The vote on the contract was postponed from the Oct. 6 meeting.