Fort Worth city leaders approved a new contact for the police department, which includes a 6 percent raise, plus step raises, by the end of the four-year deal.
The Fort Worth City Council voted to approve a new police contract Tuesday morning that will prevent cuts to the department.
The new contract with the Fort Worth Police Officer’s Association will last four years, through the 2016 fiscal year, and cost Fort Worth $34.5 million.
Over the course of the contract, all police officers would get a 6 percent pay increase, in addition to any step raises the officer may receive.
There are more than 1,500 police officers in Fort Worth. More than 80 percent of them have voted in favor of the contract.
The discussion Tuesday morning was expected to be heated, because city leaders will have to reconcile their desire to avoid police cuts with the fact that Fort Worth faces a $50 million budget shortfall next year.
