Cape Coral City Council may go to the “half-back” millage rate, so there would be funds to provide a 10% increase for police officers.

The bump would help close the gap of reaching the city’s goal of paying at the 75th percentile before the end of an existing three-year contract.

Mayor John Gunter brought the discussion forward Wednesday evening, as Council was winding down on its budget discussion for fiscal year 2025.

“I know they have reached out to us individually for a possibility at looking at any type of increase of salary this next fiscal year,” he said. “If we decide to have that discussion that is going to impact our budget.”

There is a 16% to 34% lag behind the 75th percentile for police officers, lieutenants and sergeants, city officials said.

“We can do something to soften the blow this year, so we don’t have a significant increase. The percentages are fairly high to get to the 75th percentile,” Gunter said.

There was some initial pause, as it was the ninth hour.

“The police chief brought us the asks. It got molded into the city manager’s proposed budget. We pushed back — no, we want to give more personnel,” Councilmember Bill Steinke said. “Then staff was challenged of how do we do that. We cut revenue in an effort to make things a little more cost effective by moving that rate back. At the last hour, now that staff figured out a way without reducing any services to be able to go all the way back to the rollback rate and have no decreases in services. Now we are saying, only kidding, now we want you to increase your expenses after you just decreased your income.”

There was discussion that the City Council could use the half back rate, which would provide an additional $3.6 million — a 10% increase for police officers.

“I supported the rollback rate, I still do with the caveat that looking at the compensation study that was provided we know there is going to be a substantial increase in their salaries next year if we are trying to get to the 75th percentile,” Gunter said. “If we go to the rollback rate, we cannot do anything this year.”

Councilmember Dan Sheppard said his goal was the rollback rate because he knows citizens need help.

“I also know it is important for citizens to have safety. If we have the ability to take care of our policemen and give them at least 10%, I would be for doing the halfback even though it is important that we strive for rollback. Our responsibility is to strive to come up with the best solution. Best solution — see what we can do for police men and women and still give a tax decrease for our citizens as well,” he said.

After further discussion, Steinke ran some numbers and said it would cost citizens $16 to have a more satisfied police department, which he would vote in favor of.

The council took a consensus to bring an ordinance reflecting the half back rate — 5.2188, to the first budget public hearing scheduled for Sept. 12, at 5:05 p.m.