After months of intense, back and forth negotiations, Wilton Manors and their police department (WMPD), both sides have agreed to a new contract. The three-year deal has several significant changes from the previous pact.

In public negotiation sessions, pay and benefits were generally the main sticking points. Going into discussions, WMPD was one of the lowest paid departments in Broward County and South Florida. The city wanted to get them into the top half.

Highlights of the new deal, as outlined by the city, include a new pay structure designed to better recognize seniority.

Raises will now be on a “step plan” instead of merit based. The first year comes with an 8% increase to base pay and moves officers to a higher step. Years two and three come with COLA (cost of living) raises of 3% and 3.5%, respectively. They also will have a double step for members whose years of service exceed their step pay.

The deal also lets officers reach their ‘longevity payments’ sooner. Members with 10-14 years of service will get a $875 payment (up from $675), and people with 15-19 years will get $1275 (up from $1,000). A new tier was created for people with 20 or more years, giving them $1500.

There will also be more pay incentives to temporarily fill-in on positions higher than the officer’s duties, and more positions will be eligible for assignment pay.

Officers are also getting more control over their well-earned time off. They can now bank up to 150 hours of comp time (up from 100) and 300 hours of vacation time (up from 275). They can also bank up to 500 hours of sick time to be paid out when they leave (up from 480).

The previous contract expired Sept. 30. There was no work stoppage, and officers will be retroactively paid from Oct. 1.