The Minneapolis City Council will vote next week on a Minneapolis police union contract that includes a pay raise of 21.7%. 

The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis voted in favor of the contract after eight months of negotiations. If approved by the council, the pay increase will take effect over the next three years.

A committee meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. will allow for public comments, and the full council will vote on the contract on June 27.

Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that the contract is a “good deal” for residents who count on the local government to improve police staffing. Frey said the contract will make the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) a more competitive employer and provide Chief Brian O’Hara with the necessary managerial control. 

“This was an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I am hopeful that my Council colleagues will support the agreement,” Frey said in the statement. 

If approved, the pay increase would begin with a 5.5% raise in July, a 2.5% raise in January 2025 and a 3.5% raise in July 2025.  

According to a statement from the President of Communities United Against Police Brutality Michelle Gross, an officer who has been working for one year will have a salary of around $92,000 by July 2025, if the contract is approved. 

“While we want police officers to be paid appropriately and commensurate with their work, a starting salary of $92,693 places officer pay far above the 2024 median household income for Minneapolis of $70,099,” Gross said in the statement. 

Gross criticized the pay raise and pointed to the $71 million the city has had to pay in misconduct lawsuits since 2019.

“As a result, the city is facing a $21.6 million budget deficit and sharp increases in property taxes,” Gross said in the statement.

Council Member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) said in a statement to the Minnesota Daily that, if the contract does get approved, the city council will have further conversations about how to fund it. Wonsley said Frey’s plan to defund comprehensive public safety options in favor of a police pay raise with one-time funding has little chance of succeeding. 

Wonsley said she encourages residents to attend these meetings to learn about the contract and share their thoughts about the future of public safety in the city. 

“Public safety programs like hate crime prevention and transit safety must be fully funded to create a safe city for all,” Wonsley said in the statement. “If the contract is approved, Council will have a robust conversation on funding sources that align with city priorities and are distributed in fair and accountable ways.”

The contract also outlines more flexibility with staffing and job assignment for the Minneapolis Police Department, allowing leadership to assign staff to areas with the greatest need rather than by mandated percentages. 

O’Hara said in a statement that approving this contract would send a message to prospective officers that Minneapolis leaders are committed to them. 

“The Minneapolis Police Department is made up of some of the most courageous and selfless men and women you will ever meet,” O’Hara said in the statement. “This agreement rightly recognizes the sacrifices they regularly make on behalf of our residents.” 

The contract will allow for more clerical and investigative work opportunities for nonpolice officers, enabling more officers to spend time policing. The contract will also withhold public data from officers regarding the identity of the person requesting the data.  

The Star Tribune reported the police union proposed a one-year contract in October 2023 that included a pay increase of 13.25%. Rasheda Q. Deloney, director of labor relations, said the contract “isn’t fiscally responsible,” and it was rejected.