Tucson police are sending the issue of a pay hike to arbitration with the city, while local firefighters are set to get a 3 percent raise after August, as the City Council pushed back on officers demands for a greater increase in salaries.
The Council adopted a plan to give city employees raises of 3 percent on average, as part of next year's budget.
But police, through the Tucson Police Officers Association union, say that won't result in competitive salaries for local law enforcement. So city and union representatives will have the issue decided by a neutral third party, as the impasse means arbitration is called for under the City Charter.
The City Council adopted the final 2022-2023 budget at a June 7 meeting, along with a compensation plan that will give city employees raises.