City Council has approved a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with Reading’s police officers.
The resolution, passed unanimously, authorizes the mayor to execute a contract running from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028, between the city and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9.
Discussion of the contract, which outlines pay, benefits and working conditions for sworn officers, took place in an executive session earlier Monday.
The contract includes a series of across-the-board pay increases with salaries rising 4% in 2026 and 5% in each of the following two years. Under that schedule, a police trainee would earn $75,462 by 2028, while a police officer I would reach $84,086. More experienced patrol officers climb into six-figure territory, with a top-tier police officer V earning $107,803 by the final year of the contract.
Other key provisions are as follows:
• Health insurance contributions are capped but will increase annually, with the city’s maximum monthly contribution rising from $985 for single coverage in 2026 to $1,086 by 2028, and from $2,922 to $3,221 for family coverage over the same period.
• Officers hired after 2011 will not receive post-retirement health benefits, as part of the city’s efforts to control costs.
• The agreement will maintain multiple health plan options, including Premier, Preferred and Preferred Plus plans.
• The contract will preserve pension provisions, including a service increment cap of $500 per month and buy-back options for prior service under certain conditions.
• Officers will remain subject to disciplinary procedures that include predisciplinary hearings and appeal rights, with final appeals allowed through arbitration or the courts.
The agreement also reaffirms that the FOP serves as the exclusive bargaining representative for the city’s police officers, covering compensation, hours, working conditions and retirement benefits under Pennsylvania’s Act 111.
During the meeting, officials emphasized the importance of the contract in retaining officers.
Councilman Ray Baker praised the agreement, saying the city must remain competitive.
“We need to make sure our police officers get paid,” he said. “We get tired of seeing so many of them make their way to the suburbs.”
In other business, council approved a pair of ordinances for final passage, including a $382,004 sewer fund amendment tied to delayed equipment delivery and the acquisition of the public works property on North Sixth Street.
Contracts for tree maintenance, equipment purchases and utility system upgrades were approved by council as part of its consent agenda. Among the largest expenditures was a $484,028 construction contract to renovate a city-owned warehouse at 301 Spruce St.