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Palm Beach Gardens ratifies three-year police contract covering 2026–2028, council approves pay adjustments
Summary
The council approved Resolution 74-2025 to ratify a three-year contract with the Police Benevolent Association covering officers, sergeants and communications staff; the pact includes assignment pays and market-based salary adjustments costing about $7.25 million over three years.
The Palm Beach Gardens City Council unanimously approved Resolution 74-2025 on Sept. 18, ratifying a three-year contract with the Police Benevolent Association that covers sworn officers, sergeants and communications personnel for Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2028.
Human Resources Administrator Cheryl Stewart summarized key contract provisions for council. She said the agreement includes new assignment pays for specialized duties — for example, a 2.5 percent assignment pay for traffic officers who ride motorcycles (four positions), a 5 percent pay for K-9 unit trainers (one trainer, five K-9 unit members), and a new 5 percent pay for the CNT (a bargaining unit that responds as directed by management). The salary plan is market-based; Stewart said the total increases over three years are approximately 30 percent for officers, 31 percent for sergeants, 35 percent for communications operators and 36 percent for communications supervisors.
Stewart told council the three-year cost of the salary adjustments is approximately $7,250,000, or roughly $2.4 million per year, and that those amounts have been included in the adopted budget. "This agreement covers all police officers, sergeants, communication operators, and supervisors in the city's police department," Stewart said as she recommended approval.
Sergeant Hayashi of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department addressed the council during public comment, thanking council and staff and expressing support for the agreement, saying it helps officers and their families and supports recruitment and retention.
Council members praised the negotiated health/fitness standard and the market-based approach to salaries as tools to retain personnel in a competitive local labor market. The council voted 5–0 to approve the resolution authorizing the mayor and city manager to execute the agreement.
Next steps: City staff will execute the contract and implement the salary adjustments as provided in the agreement.
