Council OKs ordinance on police pay, benefits

City Council on Thursday approved an ordinance extending pay and benefits for Austin police officers in line with the ordinance passed last year, including extra pay for longevity, for field training officers, bilingual officers, officers with mental health certification and other stipends. Council members Natasha Harper-Madison and Zo Qadri abstained, with the rest of Council voting in favor.

A variety of speakers urged Council to reject the ordinance on the grounds that money could be spent on more pressing problems in the city, such as homelessness. Some speakers argued that the police would have no incentive to go to the bargaining table if they were already receiving the same pay and benefits without a contract. Among those opposing the ordinance were Chris Harris of the Austin Justice Coalition and Equity Action. The latter group is suing the city.

Other speakers, including a contingent representing the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Austin Alliance, urged Council to approve the ordinance, pointing out the serious shortage on the police force. Those speakers included former Assistant City Manager Rudy Garza, who is chair of the chamber’s board of directors; Trey Salinas, chamber vice chair; and former Travis County Auditor Susan Spataro.

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes offered direction to the city manager aimed at ensuring that additional funds not already allocated for public safety would not be incorporated into the APD budget by passage of the ordinance. Interim City Manager Jesús Garza said that was his intention. (Because of a state law that would punish the city for taking any money out of the police budget in a subsequent year, Council members are hyperaware of how they allocate public safety money.) Harper-Madison and Qadri both said they approved of Fuentes’ direction, even though they did not support the motion to approve the ordinance.

Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson said the department had its highest attrition rate this year. She said that is not sustainable with the city’s growth. But she was smiling broadly after Council approved the ordinance.

Police have been working without a contract for the past year after Council rejected an agreement between the city and the Austin Police Association that did not take into account the fact that citizens were set to vote on dueling resolutions about police oversight in May. Shortly after that, Council fired City Manager Spencer Cronk, citing his handling of last year’s winter storm. However, they were not pleased that he brought in the police contract before the public could vote on an oversight ordinance. Following the hiring of Jesús Garza, Council approved an ordinance extending police pay and benefits similar to what they were already receiving.

The ordinance establishing those benefits is set to expire on March 31. That same ordinance establishes the authority of the Office of Police Oversight but does not carry out what voters approved in May 2023. The police union argues that the lawsuit is hampering further negotiations.

It was not clear whether Thursday’s action will cause the APA to go back to the bargaining table. Following the vote, association President Michael Bullock told the Austin Monitor his group is still concerned about the lawsuit, which revolves around the oversight ordinance approved by voters. He said, “We’re still exploring every avenue,” but are concerned about the oversight act, which they believe may be in conflict with state law.

“We’re trying to do our due diligence to make sure any discussions we have do not compromise the rights of officers,” he concluded.

This year’s ordinance has some incentives to bring APA to the negotiating table that last year’s contract did not have.

For example, the ordinance authorizes the city manager to develop new programs to address the shortage of officers, including a total of $15,000 for cadets for future APD academy classes. The ordinance also authorizes a one-time lump sum payment of $500 to each officer employed at APD after the manager determines that the APA “has engaged in good faith meet and confer negotiations with the city on a new meet and confer agreement.” But there is a deadline. Under the ordinance, the city is obligated to make the payment only if the good faith negotiations begin by April 2.

In addition, the ordinance authorizes a one-time lump sum payment of $2,500 to each officer if a meet and confer agreement is approved by no later than July 18. That payment is to be paid in the next paycheck after Oct. 1.

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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