Akron Mayor Shammas Malik says he agrees with City Council’s decision to reject a fact-finder’s report regarding contract negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police.
The bottom line, is that their recommendation, which would have raised police pay over the next two years, would be too expensive.
“The City deeply values and appreciates the work of our officers and wants them, and all employees, to be appropriately compensated. But the recommended terms of the fact-finder’s report are financially untenable and would create unsustainable cost obligations, jeopardize staffing and service levels across all departments and put the City’s short and long-term fiscal health at risk.”
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Akron Mayor, Shammas Malik
In addition, City Finance Director, Steve Fricker, notes: “More than 54% of Akron’s General Fund is currently dedicated to police and fire operations and these recommendations would have increased that share even further. The fact-finder’s recommendations would have required the City to find new revenue sources, deplete our general fund, or make deep cuts across departments, including public safety, in order to balance the budget. We would be facing fiscal caution by 2027 with less than 30 days cash on hand and by 2029, would need to cut between 100-180 city jobs. The recommendations are not a sustainable path forward for our residents or our workforce.”
The process will now move to binding conciliation, in which an independent conciliator will determine whether to accept city proposals or union proposals around key issues for the 2025-2027 contract.
Malik also provided some background to explain how they got to where they are in the process so far:
“Negotiations between the city and the FOP began in October 2024. In December 2024, the FOP determined that these negotiations were at an impasse, sending the process to fact-finding, in which a fact-finder listens to arguments on key issues – like wages, healthcare, and management rights – and issues a report which the parties can choose to accept or reject.
The fact-finder’s report recommended a 5% raise for police union members this year, a 4.5% raise next year, and a 4.5% raise in 2027, in addition to a bonus. The report also rejected the city’s modest requested changes to the city’s insurance package, which is among the most generous packages in Ohio’s large cities. The fact-finder also rejected most of the city’s proposals that would have helped the police chief improve the management and effectiveness of the department.
Like families across Akron, the City is grappling with rising costs—from fuel to equipment and pensions—while facing unique revenue challenges. A voter-mandated income tax earmark for CLC construction reduces Akron’s General Fund flexibility by approximately $20 million annually compared to peer cities. At the same time, pandemic-era federal aid that helped fund over 70 police and fire positions has expired, shifting that entire cost burden back onto the City. Inflation, supply chain pressures, and the loss of temporary funding make fiscal discipline more important than ever.
It’s also important to look beyond base pay and consider the full value of Akron’s public safety compensation package, which is among the most generous in Ohio. Akron is the only major Ohio city that provides ongoing healthcare for safety retirees – a $2.5 million annual benefit not offered elsewhere. This is in addition to significant accrued leave payouts, a robust health insurance plan and longevity pay.”
