Both sergeants and patrol officers of the Powell Police Department are set to see an even larger pay raise next year after Powell City Council approved resolutions agreeing to additional terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Each of the resolutions will add an additional 0.75% raise to the terms already agreed upon between the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council, Inc., and the city for the Powell sergeants and patrol officers.

Previously, the two sides had agreed to a three-year contract. As part of the original contract negotiations, both parties agreed to an initial 2.25% wage increase. Powell City Manager Andy White said during Tuesday’s council meeting that the FOP had elected to use a wage opener to revisit discussions and seek an additional pay increase.

“This resolution is in response to a wage opener,” White told council. “The City Council and the FOP had agreed to a three-year contract at the end of last year for 2021-23. If you recall at the time, there was a lot of confusion as to what our financial position was going to be, and we hadn’t approved the income tax restructuring although we were talking about it. There was just a general sense of confusion relating to the pandemic response coming into next year.”

With the raises for both the officers and the sergeants, White said there will be a $54,328 increase to the police payroll budget next year. White said the funds are “sufficiently available” in the city’s budget to accommodate the pay increases.

The changes to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement are only for pay raises. Asked by Mayor Frank Bertone to clarify, White said the three-year length of the contract has not changed.

White added there is also an existing wage opener for next year that could be used by the FOP for 2023 negotiations as well.