KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler announced pay increases for Knox County Sheriff’s Office employees on Friday morning at the City County Building.

Jacobs said that he and Spangler had reached a compromise on the pay increases Thursday, calling them “historic” in his announcement. Each elected official called the other “friend” and thanked one another during the announcement.

KCSO patrol officers, rank captain and below, will receive a 12% raise while corrections officers will receive a 27% increase in pay. This means patrol officers’ starting pay will be $51,100 and the starting pay for corrections officers will be $50,100.

Mayor Jacobs clarified that the pay increases were achieved without raising taxes or cutting services.

The pay increases totaling $3.975 million will be formally proposed as a general fund budget amendment at the Knox County Commission meeting on Monday. If passed, the raises are expected to go into effect on July 1.

“These are historic raises and place our officers among the highest-paid in the state,” Jacobs said.

Sheriff Spangler said the pay increases are “a huge step forward in finding permanent solutions in the shortage we’re facing in law enforcement and corrections here in Knox County.”

“I want to clarify that the negotiations have never been about Mayor Jacobs or me, the focus has been on the safety of our officers and the citizens of this county – Knox County,” Spangler said. “It has been about keeping my promise of doing the right thing.”

Last month, Jacobs addressed the KCSO pay raises demanded by Spangler in one of his weekly updates. Previously, Spangler had gone before County Commission demanding a 30% pay raise for deputies. Jacobs said at the time that granting a 30% raise would lead to a property tax increase.