AUSTIN, Texas — Austin City Council passed a resolution Thursday that ensures the city’s police officers will continue to receive pay and benefits, despite the lack of a long-term contract between the city and the Austin Police Association (APA). 

What You Need To Know

  • Austin City Council passed a resolution Thursday that ensures the city’s police officers will continue to receive pay and benefits, despite the lack of a long-term contract between the city and the Austin Police Association (APA)

  • Long-term contract negotiations between the union and the city have stalled out since last spring. The original contract, known as a meet and confer agreement, expired on March 31, 2023

  • The resolution includes the standard base pay of APD officers as well as an incentive program for police cadets and pay increases for field training officers

  • All of this comes after the department has experienced some significant staffing shortages as it has struggled with recruitment and retention of officers

Long-term contract negotiations between the union and the city have been stalled since last spring. The original contract, known as a meet and confer agreement, expired on March 31, 2023. 

In February 2023, the City of Austin and the APA reached a four-year labor agreement, but council members wanted to wait until the May election to see whether voters would approve Proposition A or Proposition B. Proposition A, which was the one that Austin voters passed, strengthened civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department, while Proposition B, which was backed by the APA and was rejected, would’ve maintained the status quo. Proposition A has yet to be implemented. 

The election complicated matters between the city and the union, and the two parties have yet to come to a long-term agreement. 

However, the City Council did adopt a resolution ahead of the election that guaranteed police pay and benefits for a year. It expires in March, but the vote Thursday allowed for the extension of that resolution for another year or until a long-term contract is negotiated. 

The resolution includes the standard base pay of APD officers as well as an incentive program for police cadets and pay increases for field training officers. Other programs included in the resolution are additional Mental Health Certification Pay, Bilingual Pay and other holiday and certificate bonuses. The updated resolution also includes incentives for the APA to re-enter negotiations with the city for a long-term contract. 

All of this comes after the department has experienced some significant staffing shortages as it has struggled with recruitment and retention of officers. Austin City Council hopes that this resolution will bring stability to the APD. 

In January, the city announced that it was hiring former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo to be an interim assistant city manager overseeing the police department. After some public backlash, Acevedo declined the job opportunity. Interim City Manager Jesús Garza said he created the position to have someone dedicated to APD in city management.