The Abridged version:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Sacramento City Council has approved a contract outlining Sacramento police officer salary raises for the next three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The contract comes as the Sacramento police union expects to struggle with recruitment and retention. The union anticipates the force will downsize to about 600 officers by end of year.<\/p>\n
City officials say the contract costs will be covered with prior-year savings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sacramento police officers can expect continued pay raises after the City Council approved a new labor contract<\/a> Tuesday.\u00a0However, the police union says the pay still falls short, claiming the department will struggle to maintain the size of its force.<\/p>\n The officers will see their pay increase 11% by the end of the three-year deal. <\/p>\n Facing steep budget deficits in the years ahead, the city of Sacramento expects the new raises to cost about $7.3 million this fiscal year. By the end of the contract, the additional cost will climb to about $19.3 million, at which point officer wages are expected to be at market rate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe agreement does help us hold water \u2014 this is kind of the way I would put it,\u201d Sacramento Police Officers Association president Dustin Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s not putting us above, below, beyond or making us a premier city from a pay and benefits standpoint.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Currently, Sacramento police officers are paid in the range of about $89,000 to $120,000, according to the police department<\/a>.\u00a0City officials considered the anticipated raises during their last budget process, setting aside prior-year savings to cover the cost.<\/p>\n \u201cThis agreement supports the employees who serve our community while maintaining our responsibility to manage public resources carefully,\u201d City Manager Maraskeshia Smith said in a statement. \u201cI appreciate the work and collaboration that went into reaching this agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tSign Up for the Morning Newsletter<\/p>\n The Abridged morning newsletter lands in your inbox every weekday morning with the latest news from the Sacramento region.<\/p>\n Striking a deal<\/p>\n