Representatives of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association will appear before the Tampa City Council this afternoon, arguing why their rank and file deserve step pay increases for approximately 500 officers this year.
They'll get a half hour to make their case, as will officials with Mayor Pam Iorio's administration, who are arguing against such pay increases.
The Tampa Tribune reported last weekend that among the disputes is actually how much the increases would amount to – the city says more than $1.7 million, while the PBA says $772,000.
A survey taken by the St. Petersburg Times today shows that most Council members contacted are not in a generous mood when it comes to ruling in favor of the cops. It's a far cry from August of 2008, when a packed Council Chamber (so packed there were dozens of firefighters watching the proceedings from the first floor in City Hall) watched as the Council voted unanimously to give Tampa's fire fighters what they wanted.
Both daily newspapers have written editorials blasting the PBA for demanding raises in such a dismal economic climate, but then again, the union movement is always the underdog in Florida.
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2009.