JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5-30 have reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement that includes "major" salary increases for officers in Jacksonville, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.
If the agreement is signed, the city said starting wages for police would rise from $52,000 annually to more than $65,000.
The months-long negotiations landed on a tentative agreement that includes a 13% increase in salaries for police officers starting in October. The first pay increase is followed by 5% increases the following two years.
The agreement, if signed, would affect starting salaries for JSO officers and a major wage increase for all sworn members, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.
Waters said these pay increases would allow JSO, which the city says has over 300 vacancies, to be competitive with comparable jurisdictions.
"Our agency will be able to recruit the best and the brightest, not only from our city, but also from across the state," Waters said.
Waters commended Mayor Donna Deegan's "leadership" throughout the negotiations, saying the city "has evidenced the high value it places on first responders."
“I’m grateful we reached this historic agreement with the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep all our citizens safe,” Deegan said. “The agreement ensures that benefits match the commitment of our brave police and corrections officers, while supporting the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in its goal to attract the best and brightest to the force."
The tentative agreement also includes salary increases for corrections officers, who will see a 15% increase in pay starting in October, 8.5% increase in 2025 and 7% increase in 2026.
The city says all parties are expected to sign the necessary paperwork next week. It will then go to the Jacksonville City Council for final approval.
