Deerfield Beach leaders press BSO on pay increase, reject demand to exceed 5% contract cap

Deerfield Beach city leaders and Broward Sheriff’s Office officials traded public statements and proposals at the Aug. 19 City Commission meeting as the two sides remained apart on funding for 2026 public-safety pay increases. City Manager Rodney Brimlow said the sheriff’s office asked for a total increase that exceeded the contract limit, and BSO responded in June with a service-termination letter that could become effective Sept. 30, 2025; BSO representatives said a revised offer delivered Aug. 18 brought the parties within “it is so close. It's actually less than 1%.”

The central dispute: Deerfield Beach’s existing contract with BSO includes a year-over-year increase cap of 5%. Brimlow told the commission that BSO’s initial “consideration letters” for 2026 asked for roughly $7.25 million more than the prior year — about $2.3 million above what the contract permits. Brimlow said BSO’s June 23 letter gave the city one week to accept terms that would have violated the contract or face cancellation; Brimlow said the city sought revisions and met repeatedly with BSO command.

Why this matters: The disagreement affects how police and fire pay raises are funded and whether current service levels continue. Brimlow said the city’s job is to hold BSO to the contract terms so Deerfield can budget for operations and tax revenues. “It was in fact BSO that left the city with their letter in June,” he said, adding that the city manager does not unilaterally decide who provides police or fire services — that is the elected commission’s prerogative in public meetings.

What each side presented: BSO officials, including Colonel Steve Robson (executive director of law enforcement), told the commission in a public comment that the sheriff’s office had completed an independent salary study and would need increases to remain regionally competitive. Robson said the sheriff’s team had offered revised options and urged continued negotiation: “The second consideration is less than 1% for the entire fiscal year budget consideration, and I ask the commission to consider these options.”

City leaders emphasized limits in the existing contract and said the sheriff’s public attacks on the city manager have strained relations. Several commissioners and the mayor publicly backed Brimlow’s transparency and defended the city’s decision to request contract compliance. Commissioner Tim Hudak and others described the social-media rhetoric by Sheriff Gregory Toney — including public comments that the sheriff could arrest the city manager — as unacceptable and distracting from negotiations on budgets and service levels.

Negotiation detail and options discussed: According to Brimlow, BSO’s first “consideration letter” asked for increases that exceeded the 5% cap by roughly $2.3 million overall; BSO later proposed tradeoffs including $15,000 in operating eliminations, about $200,000 in capital reductions and proposals to freeze or eliminate positions. Brimlow said one option BSO offered would freeze staffing in eight positions, saving roughly $450,000 over six months; BSO also outlined a deeper staff-reduction option that would permanently cut headcount and require a contract amendment.

Public comments and rank-and-file perspective: Active and retired deputies and residents spoke during public comment. Several expressed support for competitive pay for deputies and firefighters and urged continued talks; others criticized the sheriff’s public messaging and defended the city manager’s record. Retired BSO officer Neil Glassman, who said he had worked in Deerfield, told the commission he did not believe Brimlow had filed false reports and criticized the sheriff’s repeated public allegations.

What the commission did: No formal contract vote occurred on Aug. 19. Commissioners directed staff to continue negotiations and to prepare factual briefings; multiple commissioners asked staff to gather detailed financial scenarios and feasibility studies for alternatives (including a potential municipal police or fire force), if the relationship with BSO could not be restored. Vice Mayor Preston explicitly asked for a feasibility and financial study to estimate the cost and logistics of resuming city-run public-safety agencies.

Next steps and context: The city’s contract with BSO originally ran through March 31, 2026 and contains the 5% cap the commission cited. BSO’s June 23 termination notice gives Deerfield a transition window starting Oct. 1 if services end. City officials and BSO both said they prefer to avoid service disruption and said further public meetings or workshops would be scheduled if needed. Brimlow and several commissioners repeatedly urged calm and fact-based public discussion as negotiations continue.

Ending note: Officials on both sides repeatedly framed their stated priority as residents’ safety. The dispute centers on whether the sheriff’s office will fund pay increases within existing contract caps — or whether Deerfield must consider other long-run options to preserve service levels without exceeding the city’s budgeted capacity.