During Tuesday’s special meeting, the Amarillo City Council approved a $499.6 million budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, reflecting a decrease of over $31 million from the previous year. Despite the budget reduction, the council has allocated significant raises for police and fire personnel, emphasizing a commitment to public safety and infrastructure.
Police officers will receive raises ranging from 6% to 16%, depending on rank, with salaries now set at $70,000 for officers and $90,000 for experienced law enforcement officers. Firefighters will see increases between 8% and 19%, bringing their pay to $60,000. These adjustments mark the largest raises in decades and are part of the council’s strategy to address recruitment and retention challenges, especially with the police department currently short 37 officers.
Mayor’s comments on raises
Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley praised the council’s efforts, highlighting the teamwork and dedication involved in securing these raises. “All, especially when you’re looking at law enforcement, I just want to say, like, wow, great job,” Stanley remarked. “The old saying, ‘teamwork makes the dream work,’ truly applies here. The professionalism and leadership shown by this council were outstanding. It took the staff and both unions coming together to make this happen.”