10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, July 20, 2010

By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise

The San Bernardino City Council has armed the city manager with a new weapon in wage negotiations with the police officers union: the threat of furloughs.

City Manager Charles McNeely told the council this week that talks with the San Bernardino Police Officers Association have dragged on longer than expected and asked for authority to impose unpaid furloughs on officers.

He got it.

“The intent is not to furlough police immediately,” Councilman Tobin Brinker said at Monday’s meeting.

McNeely agreed, saying he expected an agreement to be concluded in the next few days. But he wanted the authority in case an agreement is not reached.

Police union President Rich Lawhead couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

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