<\/p>\n
A Dallas Police cruiser in the parking lot at Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex in December\u00a02019 in Dallas. (Smiley\u00a0N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News)<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Police and firefighter associations are divided over accepting the city\u2019s latest wage proposal as Dallas weighs pay raises for first responders at the same time other workers are furloughed<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n On one side, the heads of the Dallas Police Association<\/a>, Dallas Fire Fighters Association<\/a> and the Dallas chapter of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization<\/a>\u00a0have accused city leaders of refusing to negotiate in good faith after months of contract talks.<\/p>\n But other associations say officers and firefighters, not union leaders, should decide whether to accept or reject the offer. The leaders of the Black Police Association of Greater Dallas<\/a> and Dallas Black Firefighters Association<\/a> say they don\u2019t believe city counterproposals show first responders are being shortchanged.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n They said the Dallas Hispanic Firefighters Association<\/a> is in agreement with them. The group didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said Dallas remains committed to \u201cfair, competitive compensation\u201d and will continue funding annual step raises and market-based pay increases for police officers and firefighters.<\/p>\n \u201cOur police officers and firefighters are the backbone of public safety in Dallas,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The disagreement comes as Dallas prepares next year\u2019s budget while facing a projected $51 million shortfall<\/a>. Tolbert is expected to present her proposed budget to the City Council on Aug. 11.<\/p>\n The city has already furloughed civilian employees, frozen hiring and weighed cuts to services<\/a> such as libraries and parks. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics and 911 employees are exempt.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Dallas currently pays police officers a starting salary of $81,232.\u00a0<\/p>\n Association\u00a0divide<\/p>\n The 3-3 police and fire associations split leaves the groups at a stalemate. Association leaders said at least four of the six police and fire associations must agree before a proposed contract can be sent to police officers and firefighters for a vote to approve or reject the agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019ve received in return are counterproposals that send one very clear message: public safety is worth the bare minimum,\u201d said Sean Pease, president of the Dallas Police Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pease said the city\u2019s proposal would leave Dallas struggling to recruit and retain experienced first responders. He declined to discuss specific pay figures being proposed, saying negotiation details are confidential.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Pease also argued Dallas still falls short of Proposition U, which requires the city to rank among the top five North Texas departments for starting police pay. He said city officials emphasize bonus and incentive pay rankings even though not every officer receives those payments.<\/p>\n Police and fire departments receive the city\u2019s largest general fund allocations. The current budget provides $758 million for the Dallas Police Department and\u00a0$453 million for Dallas Fire-Rescue.<\/p>\n Dallas Fire Fighters Association President Chris Peterson said his organization wants market-level compensation, not special treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not about being greedy,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cThis is not about us wanting a huge contract, by any means at all. We just want what\u2019s fair.\u201d<\/p>\n Rank and file decide<\/p>\n The city has submitted multiple counterproposals, each including raises while preserving pay parity between police officers and firefighters, according to Black Police Association of Greater Dallas President Germaine Walls and Dallas Black Firefighters Association President Brandon Terry.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Instead of rejecting the proposal outright, they say officers and firefighters should decide whether it meets their expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou present what you have to the membership, that\u2019s part of negotiating,\u201d Walls said. \u201cYou present it to the membership and let the membership make the call.\u201d<\/p>\n Terry questioned pushing for substantially larger raises while the city is looking for ways to trim the budget. The association presidents also declined to discuss specific pay increases citing the ongoing negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are citizens that work for this city that are taking furlough days without pay, that are losing positions,and we\u2019re gonna tell them about how we\u2019ve been mistreated,\u201d Terry said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hiring requirements<\/p>\n Proposition U, approved by Dallas voters in 2024, requires Dallas to maintain at least 4,000 police officers and rank among the top five North Texas departments for starting police compensation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n City officials said last year that Dallas ranked 12th in base starting pay but third after qualifying stipends and non-pension benefits were included, though not every officer receives those payments.<\/p>\n The charter amendment also requires the city to devote at least half of any annual increase in unrestricted revenue to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System and then direct the remaining money toward police hiring, starting pay and officer benefits.<\/p>\n Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Dallas earlier this year<\/a>, alleging the city isn\u2019t complying with Proposition U\u2019s funding requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n