Baltimore City sheriff’s deputies are in line for a 17% pay bump spread across three years after the city’s spending board signed off on a new memorandum with the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 22. The agreement folds in a retroactive mid-2025 cost-of-living increase and tweaks to promotion tracks, on-call pay, and scheduling that officials say are already covered in upcoming budgets.
Board of Estimates Signs Off On Deal
The Board of Estimates on Wednesday ratified the memorandum, and the city says the salary hikes are funded in FY2026 through FY2028. As reported by Fox Baltimore, the Board approved the deal with Baltimore City Sheriff’s Lodge No. 22 that lays out the 17% pay package and related staffing changes.
What The Contract Does
Active FOP 22 members signed off on the three-year agreement in February. The contract creates four new ranks below sergeant, each with incentive pay, to give deputies a clearer promotion ladder. The pay package includes a 7% increase retroactive to June 1, 2025, followed by two straight 5% raises, according to Baltimore Fishbowl. “This agreement reflects how far the Sheriff's Office has come,” Sheriff Sam Cogen said.
On-Call Pay And Scheduling
The memorandum also introduces on-call pay of $30 for each eight-hour on-call period and limits deputies to no more than two on-call weekends a month. City officials say those guardrails are meant to curb burnout. The Board’s notation states that the added costs are spread across FY26 to FY28, which officials argue keeps the new expenses manageable, as reported by Fox Baltimore.
Background: Past Payroll Controversy
The new wage deal arrives in the wake of an Office of Inspector General review that found a misconfigured pay code tied to a 2023 detail order, which resulted in roughly $2.24 million in erroneous payments to deputies. The OIG called for clearer rules on pay enhancements and recommended that the city pursue recovery or remediation, according to a report from the Office of Inspector General.
What’s Next
With the Board’s sign-off, the city will begin implementing the contract terms and processing any retroactive adjustments. Payroll changes typically roll out after administrative notations are finalized and funds are formally allocated. The retroactive effective date also lines up with state legislative work last year that clarified FOP 22’s authority to bargain over wages starting June 1, 2025, according to testimony filed with the Maryland General Assembly.
