The overview
At a Sept. 3 meeting, Missouri City City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance for a three-year meet and confer agreement between the city and the Missouri City Police Officers Association.
Meet and confer gatherings allows representatives of the city and the Police Officers Association to come together to discuss terms for officer pay and other incentives, city officials said.
The proposed agreement comes after city and police representatives met in six open meetings to negotiate the terms of the agreement following a December 2022 petition from the Police Officer Association. A 14-month tentative agreement was reached in June 2023, Community Impact reported.
Digging in
The proposed agreement builds upon the 2023 tentative agreement with matters related to officer pay, incentives and hiring, according to agenda documents. If approved, Missouri City officers will see a nearly 6% yearly increase in compensation for three years, City Attorney E. Joyce Iyamu said.
Other new items in the agreement, include:
- Increasing the field training officer monthly pay from $100 to $200
- Adding an incentive of $150 monthly for motorcycle officers
- Adding an oral interview requirement for the captain position
- Allowing the city more time to fill promotional vacancies
- Authorizing the director to certify promotional exams
What they’re saying
After raising pay for officers over the last four years, Mayor Robin Elackatt said City Council is dedicated to ensuring the city retains and attracts officers.
“Every day different municipalities are [increasing officer pay], and that’s part of the reason why we are taking these steps to make sure we are—if not leading, we are close by,” he said.
Meanwhile, City Council members, including Floyd Emery, echoed their appreciation to city staff and the officers on their work on the agreement.
“I think it shows that Missouri City wants to maintain a safe city status,” he said. “We may not be No. 1, but we need to be as close to No. 1 as we can. Hopefully it displays what our feelings are on the discus as far as our appreciation for the police officers.”
What’s next?
The second reading of the ordinance will be heard at the Sept. 16 meeting. If approved, the agreement will go into effect Oct. 1 with compensation increases going into effect May 2025, Iyamu said.
The three-year agreement is set to expire Sept. 30, 2027, with renegotiation for a future contract beginning no later than May 15, 2027, according to agenda documents.
