Currently, the starting salary for Fort Bend County deputies is $68,515, trailing behind Houston’s $81,600, according to statistics provided by Fagan.
Zooming in
According to agenda documents, the seven-person committee, dubbed the Blue Ribbon Committee, will consist of a representative from several departments, including:
- Human resources, chair
- Sheriff’s office
- Budget and finance
- Auditor’s office
- Risk management
- Commissioners Court
- Board of judges
The request is part of a trend in police departments citywide requesting pay raises following an $832 million agreement by Houston City Council to raise police pay by 36.5% over the next five years.
The Houston Police Department also offers other pay incentives such as education pay, bilingual proficiency pay and tuition reimbursement, according to agenda documents.
Harris County is also prioritizing police pay, with an $81,000 pay increase for constables passing Sept. 9 and commissioners focusing on law enforcement pay parity in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.
Meanwhile, Montgomery County also introduced a four-year plan in its FY 2025-26 budget to increase deputy starting pay to $70,928 next year, with a goal of reaching a six-figure starting salary by FY 2028-29.
What’s next?
Commissioners asked County Judge KP George to add nominations to the agenda for the next regular session of Commissioners Court, scheduled for Oct. 23.
