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Las Cruces council approves slate of resolutions, extends police pay increases and accepts multiple grants
Summary
At its Jan. 5 organizational meeting the Las Cruces City Council unanimously approved a package of routine and substantive items — including a police MOU with across‑the‑board pay increases, a large grant bundle for mental‑health and infrastructure projects, several vehicle acquisitions, a liquor license recommendation, and a developer park reimbursement agreement.
The Las Cruces City Council on Jan. 5 approved a series of resolutions covering labor, grants, procurement and land‑use reimbursements in a meeting that also included organizational votes and extensive public comment.
Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the Las Cruces Police Officers Association that the union signed Dec. 2, 2025. According to Jose Vargas, assistant director of human resources, the MOU includes a 5% pay increase for commissioned (represented) staff and a 3% increase for non‑commissioned staff; it also extends the contract expiration date to Oct. 3, 2026. Vargas said the pay adjustments would take effect the first full pay period after council ratification (Jan. 11 if approved). Councilors pressed staff on whether the increases are retroactive and how the city ranks in pay; Vargas said Las Cruces is approximately 15th in the state by the most recent internal survey and that additional recruitment incentives and benefit levels (the city pays roughly 82% of medical/dental premiums) are used in…
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