St. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recommended pay raises for state law enforcement and firefighters during a news conference Friday morning at a restaurant in St. Johns County.
Speaking at Valley Smoke Restaurant, DeSantis called for almost $120 million to be allocated in the next state budget to give raises to some 4,700 state-sworn law-enforcement officers and more than 700 state firefighters.
The changes recommended by the governor would see state entry-level law-enforcement officers get a 20% pay increase while veteran sworn law enforcement and state firefighters get a 25% pay increase, he said.
“We think these are important vocations. We want to make sure that we’re keeping good talent. Now, the reality is, if you don’t do that, it’s not that they don’t want to serve, but if they have other opportunities, then you lose them,” DeSantis said. “(...) So, we want to make sure that we’re doing our part in the state and I think it’s something that I think most Floridians support, this is not a terribly large amount of money in the context of the overall budget. I mean, it’s a small, small fraction, but I think it’ll be very, very meaningful, and it will ensure that the good work that has been done will be able to continue.”
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Though DeSantis made it the subject of Friday’s news conference, these recommendations were already in the books. The governor proposed the raises last week as part of a $115.6 billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, specifying $118.3 million could be set aside for the pay increases.
Florida’s last budget landed on DeSantis’ desk with $17 million for a program offering bonuses to new law-enforcement recruits and veteran officers from other states, as well as a 3% pay increase for all state employees and $1.25 billion to raise teacher salaries.
Also in 2024, DeSantis signed a bill into law that, in part, revised sheriffs’ base salaries with $5,000 raises across the board.
DeSantis was joined by Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and Col. Gary Howze, Florida Highway Patrol director.
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