Battle Over Officer Salaries Continues Between the City of Bradenton and Local Police Union

BRADENTON — An online petition is seeking the public’s support for officers of the Bradenton Police Department who say they are not receiving the wages they deserve. The petition alleges that the City of Bradenton has failed to uphold the terms of the officers’ negotiated salaries or a subsequent ruling by an arbitrator who instructed the city to do so.

The petition begins, “Sadly, we, the affected officers of the Bradenton Police Department, have been left with no choice but to ask for your support. We did not want to escalate this situation, but after months of attempts to resolve this matter, we are forced to take this step.”

The petition is signed by “One City, One Team,” and the author(s) traced the officers’ payment issue back to a contract negotiated between the city and the BPD union in 2023.

“The Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and the City of Bradenton negotiated and signed a new contract. This contract was voted on by the members of the police union and passed overwhelmingly. However, following the signing of this agreement, many officers discovered they were still not being paid correctly according to their years of service—an issue that continues to affect us today,” the petition detailed.

Following months of back-and-forth between the City of Bradenton and the PBA on behalf of the officers, the payment discrepancies remained unsettled, and the impacted officers, sergeants, and lieutenants, with the support of the union, filed a grievance. The matter moved to arbitration.

On Nov. 12, 2024, the PBA, in representation of officers, announced that an independent arbitrator ruled that the city failed to provide the officers with the wage increases they were owed and unequivocally compelled the city to place all PBA members in the salary steps that reflect their current years of service as of September 30, 2023.

The arbitrator also ordered the City of Bradenton to pay the full cost of the arbitration, which was $10,000 plus their attorney's fees.

When the arbitration ruling was issued, the union called it "a major victory for the hard-working men and women who risk their lives maintaining public safety in the City of Bradenton every day."

However, according to the online petition, the City of Bradenton’s legal counsel has appealed the ruling, further delaying the payment corrections and owed salaries to the city’s officers.

“In an unprecedented move, the City is appealing the decision—a decision they have already lost,” the petition stated. “This situation is not just a violation of our contract; it’s an insult to the officers who serve this community faithfully.”

In a recent Guest Opinion submission to the Herald Tribune, the President of the Southwest Florida chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, Michael McHale, detailed the ongoing issues with the officers' contract and wages from the PBA perspective.

McHale was critical of the Bradenton City Council and Mayor Gene Brown in the piece.

“It is an injustice to deny these essential men and women the compensation they have not only earned but are, in fact, legally entitled to receive. However, that is exactly what Mayor Gene Brown and the Bradenton City Council have done to Bradenton’s finest,” McHale wrote in the Herald Tribune.

McHale called the delay in the correction of the payment errors “outrageous.”

“The officers I represent are the same men and women who worked around the clock to keep the public safe during and after catastrophic hurricanes that hit our area hard… They left their families and disregarded their own personal situations to help our city when it needed them the most. They worked for years without receiving raises that reflected their essential service to our city,” McHale added.

Responding to TBT’s request for comment by email, a spokesperson for the City of Bradenton noted the city policy of not commenting on pending legal matters but did provide the following statement:

“The City of Bradenton greatly respects the judicial process and values the contributions of our law enforcement officers. While we do not comment on pending legal matters, we exercise our right to appeal portions of the ruling that we believe are incorrect based on the case record.

Over the past three years, our police department has seen a roughly 30% increase in salaries, along with tens of millions of dollars invested in vehicles, equipment, and technology, as well as a $30+ million law enforcement center—all reflecting our commitment to supporting our officers. The Bradenton Police Department is one of the best-funded agencies of its size in Florida.

We remain committed to fostering positive relationships with our police force and ensuring the safety of our community as we continue to fight crime together.”