FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The city of Fort Pierce and its police union have come to an agreement Monday night.
The new deal would give the officers a nine percent pay increase, plus an added percentage based upon where they are in the "step" system.
At the start of negotiations in the spring, the union sought a 15% raise, which the city countered with an eight percent bump.
For months, the two sides have tried to hammer out a deal, with the officers telling the city they wanted to stay competitive with other agencies and reduce turnover in the department.
“We’re very relieved and we’re looking forward to having a good relationship working with the city in the future looking for new revenue sources, those big drivers of revenue that can make this department competitive with neighboring agencies in the future," Sargent Troy Carter of the Fort Pierce police said.
The deal now goes to the union members for a vote. If approved, it then goes to the city commission. The hope is this can all be done in the next month.
