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City ratifies three‑year contracts with Fraternal Order of Police officers and sergeants
Summary
Council approved three‑year collective bargaining agreements with the Fraternal Order of Police officers and the supervisors unit (sergeants), covering Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027; agreements raise starting pay, expand certification pay, and increase pension multiplier for post‑2012 service while requiring higher employee pension contributions.
City Council unanimously ratified collective bargaining agreements on Wednesday with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for both the officers bargaining unit and the supervisors bargaining unit (sergeants). The three‑year agreements are retroactive to Oct. 1, 2024, and expire Sept. 30, 2027.
Human Resources Director Charlotte Lowell summarized the negotiations and said the officers’ unit ratified a contract that raises starting pay, shifts the department to a 10‑step pay plan and increases specialty certification and licensure pay. Negotiators said the starting salary for a patrol officer will move to $72,000 and steps will accelerate early in tenure to bring entry and mid‑career pay more in line with the regional market.
Russell Thomas (finance/negotiations lead) told council the agreements also include an improvement to pension provisions: the benefit multiplier for service after the 2012 pension reform will be increased from 3.0 to 3.25 and a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment for retirees for six years after retirement was included. Unit members agreed to raise their pension contributions (to 6% in staged steps) to help fund the pension improvements. Negotiators said those changes, combined with the city’s catch‑up contributions, put the police pension on a path to an improved funded ratio over the coming decade.
Council members praised the agreements as essential to staffing, retention and public safety. Councilmember Christman noted the work began during an earlier contract cycle and said the current success reflects multi‑year efforts to recover compensation lost during the 2008 fiscal period and subsequent years. The contracts were ratified by FOP members on March 10 and both bargaining units’ agreements passed council unanimously.
Ending: Council members said the agreements are investments in public safety and asked staff to continue monitoring recruitment and retention metrics and to return to council if additional adjustments are needed.
