Holiday pay is history for Manteca Police.

Instead of getting double time on most holidays – and triple overtime on Christmas and the Fourth of July – police officers will simply receive a floating holiday for working on a holiday.

That means anyone scheduled to work on a day that a holiday falls on will get regular pay. They then can use a different day to take a holiday from work.

The new holiday rule is part of the contract the Manteca City Council Tuesday ratified with the Manteca Police Officers Association. Firefighters already were working holidays without being paid overtime.

The new four-year deal with the police officers saves Manteca $1.5 million a year. An agreement with the Manteca Firefighters Association saved another $1 million. Those two major contracts – coupled with an agreement that reduced compensation proportionately for executive management plus other budget savings – whittled the deficit for this year to less than $1 million.

The balance will be made up either in compensation reductions or layoffs with other bargaining groups. City officials have indicated they expect at least six layoffs. If that holds, it means nine individuals who received pink slips from the city in May – including six firefighters – will keep their jobs.

The firefighters’ agreement was a side letter to their existing contract that expires Dec. 31, 2011. The police officers agreed to a new contract that runs through June 30, 2015.

In that contract, the city agreed on or about March 1 or each year to sit down with the MPOA and discuss the financial position of the municipal general fund. It calls for the police officers to get a 1 percent increase in base pay not to exceed a total increase of 3 percent a year for every 2 percent increase in the combined receipts of property and sales taxes. That is based on the comprehensive audited financial statements over the prior year.

Officers receive additional pay based on special assignments. That additional pay is 5 percent.

It applies during those times officers are assigned to the traffic unit using motorcycles, driving under the influence  enforcement assignments,  and while an officer is assigned training officer duty typically for periods up to 12 weeks.

The 5 percent on top of base pay per month is added for those who are assigned to work as K-9 officers, a member of the SWAT team, narcotics, and detectives. Those officers assigned to the hostage negotiations team will receive $125 a month.

Special assignment pay is capped at 7.5 percent of the monthly base rate of pay in place on Jan. 1, 2007.

Those officers called back for court appearances or any other reason is paid a minimum of three hours at the rate of time and a half.

In addition, the city will board officers’ canine police dogs for two weeks a year to coincide with annual vacation.