Fort Myers police seek pay raise, negotiate with city

Reporter: Lauren Sweeney
Published: Updated:
City of Fort Myers Police Department

Negotiations over the next contract for the Fort Myers Police department continue Monday between the police union and the city.

The Gulf Coast Police Benevolent Association is asking for officer pay to raise from $40,000 to $44,000 and for officers to be making $56,000 by their fifth year.

The union will agree to keep the pension benefit status quo if the City of Fort Myers agrees on the salary bump.

The City would not comment but PBA president Matt Sellers provided WINK News with the proposals from both sides. Sellers sad he’s hopeful they will agree on a contract Monday.

The City’s proposal falls just slightly short of what the union is seeking.

A city study from 2016 provided by the union shows that Fort Myers pays all employees around 10 % less than other a local government entities in Southwest Florida.

For example, Cape Coral police officers start out currently at just over $46,000 annually according to the most recent contract for the agency. The most recent Naples police department contract shows officers are starting at $51,000 annually.

Sellers said officers are often enticed to work and stay at FMPD despite the lower pay because it is a busy agency that deals with a lot of crime with a lot of room for growth.

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