The most pressing topic was the approval of the budgetary reallocations to support the new collective bargaining agreement with the Boston Police Department’s Forensic Group. The contract provisions include a notable market adjustment to base wages in fiscal year 2025, with 2% wage increases scheduled for January 2026 and 2027. Additionally, employees will receive flat salary increases of $900 in 2026 and $800 in 2027. This adjustment aims to address competitive salary needs for a group consisting of professional employees, many of whom hold advanced degrees and perform critical scientific functions within the department.

The councilors discussed the implications of these financial shifts, which involve a reduction and an increase of $128,700 in the reserve for collective bargaining to adequately fund the forensic group’s salary adjustments. The new salary scale, set to be effective 30 days post-approval, will result in an average increase of $4,700 for employees in this unit. This is seen as an important step in recognizing the specialized skills required for these positions.

Further discussions touched on the broader context of the city’s budget management, with mention of the $96.8 million allocated in the fiscal year 2025 budget to cover various collective bargaining reserves. The council has been engaged in reviewing 15 collective bargaining agreements this fiscal year, totaling $13.7 million. With the proposed changes, the reserve balance will stand at approximately $3 million.

Council members also explored contract-specific changes such as the extension of the probationary period to 12 months for these highly skilled positions. Modifications to sick leave and bereavement policies were also discussed, aligning with city-wide updates that allow probationary employees access to these benefits.