Indian River Shores sewed up its 2025-26 budget, substantially boosting salaries for the town’s public safety force while still slightly reducing the property tax rate.
Overall, the town budget for the coming year was reduced by $1.7 million from $12.1 million to $10.4 million as a result of the completion of several costly projects in the previous year’s budget.
Shores assessed property values increased from $5.26 billion to $5.77 billion this year, which allowed the town to balance its budget while reducing the property tax rate slightly from $1.33 per $1,000 of taxable value to $1.28 per $1,000 of taxable value.
There was no public comment about the budget at either of the two public hearings, but Mayor Brian Foley and Vice Mayor Bob Auwaerter have both said they had gotten good feedback around town from residents about the taxes and spending.
“I received verbal comments in the nature of good job, guys, atta boy, so all positive,” Foley said.
The big unknown in July when the town council first examined the budget was the pending salary component of the public safety contract, as the staff and town council negotiated with the union, hoping to strike a balance between fiscal responsibility and maintaining a top-notch public safety agency for town residents.
The end result was not cheap – an additional $360,000 of tax revenue will go to public safety – but Indian River Shores apparently can afford it.
“We were able to fund everything and reduce the millage rate to help offset the property value increase,” Town Manager Jim Harpring said.
Over the three-year contract period, public safety salaries, amortized, will go up by more than 27 percent.
“On October 1, 2025, each bargaining unit member shall receive an 18 percent increase to their base salary. On October 1, 2026, each bargaining unit member shall receive a 4 percent increase to their base salary. On October 1, 2027, each bargaining unit member shall receive a 4 percent increase to their base,” the 55-page agreement says.
The public safety union agreement also boosts starting salaries for the town’s officers from $53,323 this year to $55,456 next year and $57,674 in 2027 to stay competitive with other agencies. The Shores has a triple-trained public safety force with officers being sworn law enforcement officers along with firefighters and paramedics or emergency medical technicians.
New hires with more than 10 years of experience may be offered 15 percent over the entry-level rate.
When law enforcement officers complete their fire and EMT training they qualify for an increase of up to 15 percent on top of the current base rate, or $61,321. That salary is equivalent to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office advertised rate, with major budget increases the sheriff requested this summer.
Once licensed and certified to operate as a paramedic by the town’s medical director, Shores public safety officers can earn $10,000 per year on top of that.
