Cooper City approves 21-year Broward Sheriff's Office fire and police contracts; votes 4-1 on each agreement

Cooper City commissioners on a special meeting day approved two separate agreements with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) for fire and police services, voting 4–1 on the fire contract and 4–1 on the police contract. Both approvals were made subject to finalization of contract language by the city manager, the city attorney and BSO command staff and counsel.

The contracts update an ongoing, long-term contracting relationship between Cooper City and BSO. The agreements reduce certain staffing costs in year one, add reporting and documentation requirements, clarify ownership of city‑purchased equipment, extend the termination transition window from 18 months to 24 months, and set target percentage increases for year two personnel costs (a 6% target mentioned for the fire contract and a 10.5% target for police in staff presentations). The police agreement also includes three city events — Farmers’ Day, Let’s Liven Cooper City (Lehi up Cooper City), and National Night Out — in the base consideration so the city will not be charged additional fees for those events.

Why it matters: Cooper City’s contract dollars are separate from the county general fund that also supports BSO regional assets. Commissioners emphasized that city contract funds pay for local, contract‑city services and should be documented and auditable. Several commissioners pressed BSO and city staff on ancillary costs — overtime, health‑insurance allocations and other operating line items — and requested regular, line‑item budget‑vs‑actual reporting as part of the contract’s oversight provisions.

Key details and discussion

- City staff said the fire contract negotiations produced a $470,000 reduction from an initial BSO proposal, achieved in part by removing two hazardous‑relief positions from the fiscal‑year 2026 consideration and by other efficiency measures. The city manager told the commission, “I’m recommending approval of both the police contract and the fire contract.”

- Year‑two targets: Staff described a defined target mechanism for year‑two personnel costs tied to implementation of pay increases proposed by BSO rather than an open cap; the manager and BSO said the fire target is approximately 6% while the police target for the second year was described as about 10.5% to complete a multi‑year salary study. Commissioners were told that certain line items that scale with payroll (overtime, retirement, FICA, related payroll taxes) will move with salary changes.

- Facilities, equipment, termination: Both contracts transfer routine facilities‑maintenance responsibility to Cooper City and incorporate an exhibit listing city‑purchased equipment so the city’s property is documented and would be returned or accounted for on termination. The termination transition period was increased from 18 to 24 months.

- Event coverage and vehicle assignment: On the police side, BSO agreed to include three named city events in the baseline agreement, for an estimated savings to the city near $79,000. Commissioners discussed community outreach vehicles and use categories (autism‑awareness vehicle, breast‑cancer awareness, COP vehicles); BSO said district captains can facilitate vehicle wraps and scheduling and that regional assets may be assigned but could be called away for higher‑priority emergencies.

- Reporting and transparency: Commissioners repeatedly requested the monthly/quarterly budget reports the contract requires. The contract language referenced by staff requires BSO to provide a year‑to‑date budget‑vs‑actual line‑item report and allows the city manager to request supporting documentation; commissioners asked for those reports to be shared publicly with the commission and to be used to answer follow‑up questions about ancillary costs.

Votes at a glance

- Fire contract (resolution language presented on the record as “resolution ... 65”): Passed 4–1 (Yes: Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Katzmann, Commissioner Schroeder, Mayor (recorded as yes); No: Commissioner Mallozzi). Motion approved subject to finalization of contract language as described by city staff.

- Police contract (recorded on the agenda as “resolution 25‑66”): Passed 4–1 (Yes: Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Mallozzi, Commissioner Katzmann, Commissioner Schroeder; No: Mayor (recorded as no)). Motion approved subject to finalization of contract language as described by city staff.

What commissioners asked for next

Several commissioners asked staff to prepare a focused staff report about options and costs for an independent review or deeper audit of the city’s contract line items (described in the meeting as a forensic audit request by one commissioner). Staff said they will produce a report for a future meeting (staff estimated it could be provided by the October commission meeting) and reiterated that the contract already requires regular budget‑vs‑actual reporting and supporting documentation that the city manager may request.

Closing: After extended discussion and recognition from BSO command staff of the cooperative negotiations, commissioners completed the votes and adjourned the meeting. City staff will finalize contract language and circulate the final documents for execution by the parties as instructed by the commission.