Rosenberg council approves step pay plan for dispatchers and higher raises for police

Rosenberg City Council on May 20 approved a resolution to amend the police department compensation step plan and establish a step plan for dispatch personnel, effective June 1, 2025. The council voted to raise sworn officer step increases to a 10%/8%/5% progression for officers, sergeants and lieutenants, and to adopt a 22% increase for the non‑certified dispatch entry level.

Council members and staff framed the package as a retention and recruitment measure. "Staff performed an analysis of the step plan as compared to other plans in the surrounding area and determined that the city was slightly below average of some neighboring cities when comparing base pay without holiday pay and overtime pay," a staff member told the council during the presentation. The council ultimately approved the higher step percentages after members said several recent resignations made stronger increases necessary.

The council and staff discussed how to pay for the change. For the remainder of fiscal year 2025 (June–September 2025), staff identified a one‑time budget impact of roughly $247,500 and proposed using additional sales tax receipts received through April 2025 to cover that amount. Staff also said implementing the amended step plan for a full fiscal year would raise recurring police department expenses by about $775,000; councilmembers and staff noted the city would need to identify steady revenue sources during the FY2026 budget process to sustain the increase.

City Manager Joyce clarified how the costs would be accounted for: "We do not pay for salaries with fund balance. Fund balances for one‑time expenses, not ongoing expenses," she said, adding that next fiscal year the city would look beyond sales tax — including property tax and other general fund revenues — for long‑term coverage.

Councilmember Felix moved that officers receive 10%, sergeants 8% and lieutenants 5%, with dispatch increases left at 22%; the motion was seconded and passed. During the discussion a councilmember asked whether the higher package would raise the full‑year cost to near $1 million; staff said the originally analyzed amount was about $775,000 for a full year and that a later, larger option would approach the higher figure if adopted. The council approved the adopted package and directed staff to include the recurring costs in the FY2026 budget process.

The council also approved a related budget amendment (resolution R‑3877) to appropriate a supplemental amount from sales tax for the police compensation step plan update and to reallocate certain contractual funds tied to wastewater contract renewals; that amendment was approved by unanimous council vote at the same meeting.

The meeting record shows the council’s actions were taken after a joint employee benefits and finance/audit committee review. Committee materials presented to council cited local market comparisons and turnover as the basis for recommending a step plan for dispatch and increases for sworn staff. The mayor and multiple councilmembers thanked police officers and dispatchers for their service after the vote.

Questions about longer‑term funding and the FY2026 budget were left to the coming budget process; council members said staff will return with the necessary budget adjustments and recommendations during that cycle.

The votes and formal actions taken at the May 20 meeting are recorded in separate agenda resolutions: R‑3874 (police compensation step plan) and R‑3877 (budget amendment to appropriate sales tax and reallocate funds).