CC 01/27/2025 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CASSCLBERRY CITY COMMISSION Minutes of January 27, 2025 — Regular Meeting Page 8 of 11 and conducting of training with the new members would also occur at that time. B. Amendment to the Pay Grade Schedules for Sworn Police Officers and Related Budget Amendment #25-013 Staff Presentation: City Manager Randy Newlon gave a brief overview of the item which included the following information. The FY25 Pay Grade Schedule for the police positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement was developed during the negotiation process for the current collective bargaining agreement that went into effect October 1, 2024. At the time it went into effect, the City became the city agency with the highest officer starting pay in Seminole County. With high demand yet low supply for law enforcement applicants generally, employers continue to increase their pay ranges. In less than a year, the other cities in Seminole County made significant adjustments to their pay ranges and Casselberry now offers the lowest starting salary for officers at $54,000, and no longer has a competitive position. The market data in the surrounding area, both within and outside Seminole County suggests that a minimum starting annual salary for an officer needs to be $63,000 to be competitive. A change to the starting rate for officers creates the need to also increase the maximum of that pay range and subsequently to adjust the pay ranges for higher ranking sworn positions. The cost to fully fund all affected sworn positions including benefits is estimated to begin at $862,271 for a year. To complete the remaining seven months for FY25 additional funding of $502,991 is requested via Budget Amendment #25-013. In an effort to ensure successful recruitment and retention and to maintain an effective workforce, the recommendation is to adjust the pay ranges in the City's Pay Grade Schedule adopted as Appendix A in the City's FY25 Annual Budget that went into effect October 1, 2024, as follows effective February 2, 2025: Bargaining: Police Officer: $ 63,000 - $ 94,500 Police Corporal: $ 66,150 - $ 99,225 Police Sergeant: $ 76,000 - $114,000 Non -Bargaining: Police Commander: $ 81,742 - $122,614 Police Captain: $ 90,027 - $131,041 Chief Larry Krantz thanked the City Commission for considering the adjustment to the Pay Grade Schedule, adding that as the City Manager had mentioned, there had been challenges over the years with staffing issues that affected agencies industry -wide. He agreed that competitiveness continues to increase and drive the demand for increased salaries in order to attract the best and brightest applicants to the City to ensure that the Department is able to continue to reach its goal to keep the community safe. He added that he believed the pay schedule increase would help the Department remain competitive and asked that the Commission support the proposed adjustments. The Commission as a whole expressed appreciation for the Department and the work the officers do on a daily basis and expressed support for the pay schedule adjustments being requested. Budget Impact: Budget Amendment 425-013 provides total funding of $502,991 to fully fund all positions, filled and vacant, for the remainder of FY25. The source of the funds is General Fund Reserves. BA #25-013