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The Amarillo City Council recently approved pay raises and other updated agreements for the Amarillo Fire Department and the Amarillo Police Department.
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.
These raises stemmed from the City’s Meet and Confer Agreements with the Amarillo Police Officers Association and Amarillo Professional Fire Fighters Association, which the council ratified at Tuesday’s special meeting. The negotiations for these agreements began in February.
Additional highlights from the final agreement with the APD include:
Cleanup of existing agreement languageUpdating and clarifying promotional exam requirementsAnnual leave-buyback program revisionsReduced steps on the pay scheduleAdded field training officer payAdded fitness payAdded language related to recognized holidaysAdded language to review Base Wages and Supplemental Pay sections in August 2025
Additional final agreement highlights with the APFA include:
Continuation of the Fire Marshal’s Office languageContinuous staffing model for the fire suppression divisionAnnual leave buyback provisions based on the number of hours accruedAssociated Business Leave bank established from donated sick leaveMaintaining pre-existing incentive/longevity pays, clothing allowanceAdded overtime policyAdded additional points on entrance examinations for certified paramedics
"We want to thank Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley, Council members Josh Craft, Don Tipps, Tom Scherlen, Les Simpson, and the citizens of Amarillo for their shared vision of increased public safety. This council, and the people they represent, saw the importance of enhancing Amarillo’s first responders and worked within the budget to raise pay for your police officers and fire fighters.
"We also want to thank Amarillo Assistant City Managers Andrew Freeman and Laura Storrs, HR Director Mitch Normand, and City Secretary Stephanie Coggins. These city professionals worked with APOA representatives for six months to craft the best agreement for APD and Amarillo. An additional thank you to Todd Harrison of CLEAT (Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas) for assisting the APOA through negotiations.
"The Amarillo Police Officers that the APOA represents are extremely grateful for the support of the council, the city, and the citizens they serve. Your officers are highly trained and work hard every day to protect the city that they love. We believe that this agreement will help us fill our empty positions and make APD an attractive employment opportunity. Our officers pour their hearts and souls into serving Amarillo. Thank you, Amarillo, for investing back into us. We are truly grateful," Toby Hudson, APOA President, said.
"The APFFA Local 542 would like to sincerely thank Mayor Cole Stanley, council members Josh Craft, Don Tipps, Tom Scherlen, Les Simpson, City Administration Laura Storrs and Andrew Freeman for working with us and passing our new Meet and Confer agreement.
This is a monumental achievement for the APFFA, AFD and the City of Amarillo. The benefit this has on recruitment and retention for our department is astronomical. Our members are grateful for the effect this will have on public safety for Amarillo and it’s citizens.
"The APFFA wants to let everyone know of what a great job our current Council has done for not only us but the city as a whole. I encourage you to reach out to these members and thank and encourage them to keep up the great work. With open minds, clear heads and common goals the sky is the limit," Todd Peden, APFFA President, said.
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. 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.
"You may not know it, but starting pay for police officers eight to ten years ago was about 22% less. We're now showcasing a major move with this investment. Previous councils worked with the APPOA to secure large increases over the past few years, laying a strong foundation that we are now building upon.
"For new recruits, starting pay is $70,000, and for experienced officers, it can go up to $90,000. This is a significant improvement from where we were. It’s crucial for attracting and retaining talent. If you're listening from California, for example, you could transfer to Texas and earn close to $90,000. This is a testament to our commitment to investing in our public safety personnel.
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