AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin and the Austin Police Association (APA) reached a tentative agreement that Mayor Kirk Watson says “is a positive new chapter in the future of public safety in our city.”

What You Need To Know

  • The City of Austin and the Austin Police Association (APA) have reached a tentative contract agreement
  • The tentative agreement includes officer pay increases and historic changes to police oversight, according to the union

  • The proposed contract represents a 28% increase for Austin police officers over five years with a total value of $217.8 million

  • The contract also includes steps to further police oversight and accountability such as adding a process for the Office of Police Oversight to consider anonymous complaints and an extension of the disciplinary timeline

The tentative agreement includes officer pay increases and historic changes to police oversight, according to the union. 

The proposed contract represents a 28% increase for Austin police officers over five years with a total value of $217.8 million. The base pay will increase by 8% and 6% in years one and two, respectively. Then, in years three and four, the base pay will increase by 5% followed by 4% in the final year of the agreement. 

Additionally, the tentative agreement proposed an increase in pay for field training officers, a stipend for officers working the night shift and stipends for patrol officers to aid with operational efficiencies. 

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, who joined the Austin Police Department as chief this month, said she thinks this tentative agreement contributes to an era of growth and transformation for the city.

“This Tentative Agreement includes meaningful investments in officer pay and benefits that will be invaluable as we seek to recruit and retain the best law enforcement officers in the country,” Davis wrote. “I am proud to be serving in a City that values and prioritizes public safety, and not only believes in but is also committed to transparency and community engagement.” 

Additionally, the contract includes steps to further police oversight and accountability like adding a process for the Office of Police Oversight to consider anonymous complaints and an extension of the disciplinary timeline.

“It’s a new day for our officers with the Austin Police Department as I am hopeful our Austin Police Association members will understand the City’s support of them, particularly as it relates to pay and benefits,” Watson wrote. “I’ve stood firm in saying that a long-term contract is in the best interest of our community, as well as for our officers, to ensure we can fill vacancies as well as retain officers.”

“This agreement achieves those goals and more – it also represents a new day for police oversight,” Watson continued. “The measures agreed to in this contract are a first for the State of Texas, if not the nation. I am pleased to see the outcome of the work that the APA and our City’s negotiation team have achieved through what I believe is a historic agreement.”

The tentative agreement will be posted for public review by Thursday, and Austin City Council is expected to vote on that agreement during a meeting on Oct. 10, according to the City of Austin.

“For too long, Austin was stuck in a contentious stalemate over police and policing,” Watson said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I greatly appreciate that APA President Michael Bullock came into office this year willing to talk. And I’m thankful for the work of the city manager’s office in keeping a focus on turning a corner on the relationship.”