Denver sheriff’s deputies are getting a bump in their paychecks, even as the city wrestles with a major budget crunch. Under a newly approved one-year contract, sworn deputies will see a 4% across-the-board salary increase, retroactive to Jan. 1, city records show. The deal covers roughly 700 deputies represented by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27 and was filed with the City Council earlier this spring after negotiations wrapped up between the union and city officials.
What the deal covers
The city’s official filing with the Denver City Council describes the successor collective bargaining agreement as a 12-month pact that runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, according to the City Council filing. The document outlines several key changes, starting with a 4.0% salary increase effective Jan. 1.
The agreement also adds specialty pay for members of the horse-mounted patrol, bumps funeral leave from three to five days, and tweaks how uniforms are provided for new deputies, all spelled out in the same filing.
How it passed
Denver City Council signed off on the contract as part of a block vote, according to The Denver Post. That reporting notes the approval clears the way for retroactive pay to roll out to covered deputies and confirms the agreement was hammered out between city negotiators and FOP Lodge 27.
Union and staffing
The union representing deputies, Denver Sheriff FOP Lodge 27, states on its website that it represents more than 700 members, mirroring the contract’s coverage. Lodge 27 is identified as the exclusive bargaining agent for the unit that will receive the 4% raise.
Budget backdrop
The timing of the raise lands in the middle of a tough fiscal picture. Denver is still contending with a projected $200 million budget shortfall for 2026 and a round of layoffs announced by the mayor’s office last August. CBS Colorado reported that the administration cut roughly 169 positions and eliminated hundreds of vacant roles in earlier belt-tightening efforts.
Public safety pay debate
Paychecks for uniformed public-safety workers have been a recurring flashpoint at City Council. Last year, council members approved multi-year raises for Denver police officers, a decision that sparked debate about prioritizing police and sheriff pay while other city departments absorbed cuts. Denverite chronicled that vote and the back-and-forth on the council floor in detail.
Next steps
According to the legislation text filed with the Council, the measure was placed on the Health and Safety Committee’s consent agenda and the committee signed off on filing it on March 25. The council’s review window lists April 27 as the last regularly scheduled meeting within the 30-day review period. Once final action is formally recorded, the resolution will be filed with the clerk and recorder, and implementation details will show up in the city’s public records.
