FOP: Venice Police Department is the lowest paid law enforcement agency within Sarasota County
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
Venice FOP
Venice Police Salary Issue
The Venice Police Department is the lowest paid law enforcement agency within Sarasota County. The following list shows the current starting annual salary for each agency:
| Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office | $75,457 |
| Sarasota Police Department | $65,875 |
| Longboat Key Police Department | $63,949 |
| North Port Police Department | $63,550 |
| School Board Police | $60,008 |
| Venice Police Department | $53,332 |
It is common for law enforcement agencies to follow a step plan for salary raises. An officer receives a pay raise based upon their time with the department and experience. It currently takes an officer at the Venice Police Department ten years to reach the top salary step. Currently, for a Venice Police Officer to obtain the starting salary equivalent to a Sarasota Sheriff’s Deputy, they will have to work for eight years. The following list shows the top salary step for each Sarasota County agency:
| Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office | $95,113 |
| Sarasota Police Department | $91,929 |
| Longboat Key Police Department | $87,518 |
| North Port Police Department | $90,090 |
| School Board Police | *None listed* |
| Venice Police Department | $80,388 |
Venice Police Officers cannot afford to live within the Venice community due to the rapid increase in housing costs. Other local governments including North Port, Longboat Key, and Sarasota County have recognized the increased financial strain on their officers amidst a culture and climate that is largely anti-law enforcement. Local governments provided their respective officers with substantial raises, as they recognized the need to retain quality employees. Longboat Key gave their officers a 29.7% increase in June 2023, North Port raised each pay step by $10,000 in April of 2023, and Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office increased each pay step by $10,400 in September of 2023.
As many have seen, the development and growth within Sarasota County is exponential. Based upon approved housing developments in the Northeast area of the city, 6,899 dwelling units will be added which equates to an estimated 14,556 new residents, a 57% increase in population from 2020. Some of these developments have already been completed. With this growth, the City of Venice has not increased the total number of officers at the Police Department. The minimum staffing requirement for the Police Department is three patrol officers and one patrol supervisor. In 2005 there were 58 sworn personnel, as of September 2023 the Venice Police Department was authorized for 51 sworn personnel. Sworn personnel are comprised of command staff, supervisors, officers, and detectives. The city has prohibited department heads from adding additional full-time positions for fiscal year 2024, including the police department. This has created a deficit in the allocation of police resources in comparison to the increased population and growth.
The city generated a 19% increase in property tax revenue for fiscal year 2023 which equates to $3.8 million. Prior to a recent millage rate reduction, the city projected an additional 14% increase in property tax revenue for fiscal year 2024. After all reserve funds were met, the city projected $5,592,576 available for expenditure in fiscal year 2024. The newly adopted budget for fiscal year 2024 reduced the millage rate from 4.3600 mills to 3.904 mills. This reduced the funds available for expenditure by $2,864,000, leaving $2,864,520 available.
The Venice Police Department has experienced a turnover rate of approximately 43% over the past 4 years. There are currently 37 officer (non-supervisory) positions. 16 officers have voluntarily resigned or been terminated within that time frame. This number does not include officers who have reached their full retirement eligibility.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Venice Lodge 57 is an organization of Venice law enforcement officers committed to serving the citizens and community. The lodge wishes to retain quality police officers who can afford to live in the community they serve. The lodge has provided the city with significant data to support a wage increase. Furthermore, Venice officers are paid significantly less than surrounding agencies. During wage negotiations, the lodge proposed a salary increase utilizing available funds in the city budget, without raising taxes. The city responded with a counteroffer well below the average salary of local Sarasota County law enforcement agencies. Starting October 1, 2023, the city provided a 7.5% increase to non-union employee’s salaries which included all department heads. On October 11, 2023, the city also provided a 7.5% raise to the City Manager and City Clerk. The following was the city’s final offer to police officers:
| Step # | City Offer | % Increase to Current Salary |
| Step 1 | $58,000 | 8.7% |
| Step 2 | $60,320 | 7.1% |
| Step 3 | $62,733 | 5.7% |
| Step 4 | $65,242 | 4.7% |
| Step 5 | $67,852 | 3.8% |
| Step 6 | $70,566 | 3.2% |
| Step 7 | $73,389 | 2.8% |
| Step 8 | $76,325 | 2.6% |
| Step 9 | $79,378 | 2.6% |
| Step 10 | $82,553 | 2.7% |
*Note: the majority of VPD officers are at Step 5 or higher
The officers working for the City of Venice are dedicated to their careers and want to provide professional and exceptional services to the citizens, businesses, and visitors of our city. Without action, the lodge believes that quality officers will leave Venice Police Department for higher paying local agencies. The Lodge is seeking competitive compensation for officers based on the local market. Venice Police Officers, represented by Lodge 57, ask for your support before our City Council on October 24, 2023, or following Council meetings. You can also show your support by emailing City Council:
Mayor Nick Pachota – [email protected]
Vice Mayor Jim Bolt – [email protected]
Council Member Dr. Mitzie Fiedler – [email protected]
Council Member Rachel Frank – [email protected]
Council Member Rick Howard – [email protected]
Council Member Richard “Dick” Longo – [email protected]
Council Member Helen Moore – [email protected]
Sincerely,
Venice Lodge 57
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