In contract negotiations, one number can mean two things to two different people. Discussions between Wilton Manors and the officers’ union, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), are no exception.

Both sides have been meeting for weeks to hash out a new three-year contract for WMPD. Most of the discussion has focused on pay. Officers are among the lowest paid in South Florida, and both sides want to change that.

The city wants to get officers from the fourth to the second quartile of area pay. Meaning they’d move into the top half of salaries. But agreeing on what counts as that number has been contentious.

Twelve cities, including Oakland Park and Pembroke Pines, use BSO in lieu of having their own police force, with a salary range between $58K and $95K. Wilton Manors is counting each city BSO covers as its own entity, even though the salary and agency, BSO, is the same.

The PBA says BSO should count as one, which would require bigger raises to bring WMPD salaries in line.

Both sides have tentatively agreed on an 8% raise across the board in the first year, and moving to a seniority based “step” increase system after that for officers in their first 10 years.

Keeping Veteran Officers

It’s the longevity program, for people with more than 10 years of service, that creates new issues. Years 11-20 would come with a modest bonus and cost of living raise (COLA). The bonus would not count towards future COLA increases.

Union representatives say this discourages officers from staying in the city long term. Retention has long been an issue for the small department. Low pay has led to many officers getting experience with WMPD and then leaving for a nearby jurisdiction with better pay.

Both officers and the city agree that creating a bond between a community and its police force is key for building trust and reducing crime.

The current contract expired on Sept. 30.