07/08/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/08/2025 18:16
Posted: July 8, 2025
Last week, City Manager Karena Shackelford shared a comprehensive update on the adoption of Fremont's $392.4 million Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025/26. In that message, she emphasized our shared commitment to long-term financial sustainability while maintaining the high-quality services our community expects.
As previously communicated, the City initially proposed one-year contract extensions with no proposed salary increases for Fiscal Year 2025/26. The City entered similar one-year extensions in 2021 with all bargaining groups, due to similar financial uncertainty during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The following year, each of the bargaining groups entered three-year agreements with the City. The four public safety groups received a 17% salary increase, with the Police Association receiving an additional 2% mid-contract adjustment in late 2024. All non-safety bargaining groups received a 13% salary increase over the three-year term.
The City continues to engage in labor negotiations with all nine employee bargaining units. These conversations are critically important-and ongoing. Fremont is committed to bargaining in good faith, and based upon updated bargaining authority, we are actively meeting to discuss the path forward. While no agreements have been finalized yet, we remain focused on collaboration, transparency, and finding balanced solutions that allow us to deliver on our core mission: serving the people of Fremont.
We are proud that Fremont continues to deliver high-quality services every day-from police and fire protection to park maintenance and library programming, as well as housing services and emergency preparedness. Fremont's employees are the backbone of our community, and we remain committed to fair and respectful negotiations. Our shared success depends on working together in a spirit of partnership, transparency, and mutual respect.
To stay informed about the City's financial planning and priorities, we encourage the community to explore our FY 2025/26 Operating Budget here. Future updates will be posted online as they become available.
Thank you for your continued trust, support, and engagement. Together, we remain focused on building a strong and sustainable Fremont today and for generations to come.