Photo by Trei Johnson
Gulfport City Council approved new police and firefighter wage agreements Aug. 4 that will increase public-safety pay beginning Oct. 1. Council also renewed the City’s insurance coverage for $1.09 million, which is a 23.89% decrease from the current fiscal year.
The proposed fiscal year 2027 police and fire budgets already include the wage changes, and staff said the agreements will not require additional budget adjustments.
The police contracts provide a 9% cost-of-living adjustment, while firefighter raises will vary by position, ranging from about 0.4% to 9%.
Police Pay Plan Increases
Council approved separate one-year agreements with the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association for Gulfport’s officers and detectives and its police sergeants. Both contracts run from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.
The agreements apply a 9% cost-of-living adjustment to the police pay plan. Employees also will transition to a 2,184-hour annual schedule, equivalent to 84 hours during each two-week pay period.
Council approved separate one-year agreements with the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association covering Gulfport officers, detectives, and police sergeants. The contracts run from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.
The agreements increase the police pay plan by 9% and move employees to a 2,184-hour annual schedule, equivalent to 84 hours per two-week pay period.
Other changes include:
- An increase in shift differential pay from $1.60 to $2 per hour
- A lateral-entry program designed to recruit experienced officers from other agencies
- Increased incentive opportunities for acting supervisors and field training officers, who may receive combined incentive pay of up to 10% — an increase from 8%
- Changes to assignment compensation for on-call detectives and employees assigned to the Major Accident Investigation Team or outside agencies. Those employees will receive a $100 stipend per pay period rather than a 5% increase.
The proposed fiscal year 2027 Police Department budget includes about $4.83 million in personnel costs.
[read more below]
That’s not all that happened at the Aug. 4 Gulfport City Council meeting. Read about e-bikes, Ian O’Hara lawsuit, special events, and what we overheard.
Firefighter Raises Depend on Position
Gulfport’s 13 firefighters and three lieutenants will receive raises ranging from approximately 0.4% to 9%, depending on their classification and placement within the department’s step plan.
The proposed Fire Department budget includes about $3.26 million in personnel expenses and already accounts for the wage increases.
Insurance Costs Fall Despite Recent Claims
The City will pay Public Risk Management of Florida $1,091,160 for fiscal year 2027 insurance coverage, which includes property, workers’ compensation, general liability, automotive liability, and public officials liability.
The premium is nearly 24% lower than the current year, despite substantial claims in 2024 and 2025. Gulfport had initially projected a 12% increase.
Staff attributed part of the savings to the City’s safety programs and drug-free workplace designation. A Public Risk Management representative also cited improved reinsurance availability and increased competition in the commercial insurance market.
The two-year coverage agreement should keep Gulfport’s rates flat during the second year unless its exposures change. Those exposures include the City’s insured property, vehicles and workforce.
Sheriff’s Office Will Provide Specialized Services
Council approved a fiscal year 2027 agreement with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office with a minimum cost of $192,630.85.
The agreement provides specialized services including fingerprint analysis, crime-scene processing, evidence storage, computer-aided dispatch, records management, and major crash investigations.
The base cost includes $122,160.86 for dispatch services and licenses for 33 mobile units. It also covers 95 latent-print cases, 85 crime-scene calls, and the processing and storage of up to 1,550 pieces of evidence.
Additional services could increase the final cost, and the Sheriff’s Office will refund unused prepaid service amounts after the contract year.
Police Chief Mary Farrand wrote in an agenda memorandum that the agreement allows City officers to focus on community policing. The memorandum estimated that providing comparable services internally could require a forensic employee costing about $93,000 annually, specialized equipment, and additional staffing.
An independent communications center would require at least five employees with an estimated annual cost of about $400,000, according to the memorandum.
City Pays June Permitting Contractor
Council authorized a $40,678.30 payment to C.A.P. Government Inc., a Bureau Veritas company, for June plan reviews and inspections.
The contractor processed 165 permits, while City employees handled five owner-builder permits. Contractor permitting generated $50,847.88 in revenue that month. Gulfport paid C.A.P. $40,678.30 and retained about $10,170, plus all revenue from owner-builder permits.
The City said permit fees fully cover the contractor’s services and do not negatively affect the general fund.
The Gulfport City Council’s next meeting is Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.
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