Conroe City Council approved reinstating the step pay program for police and fire civil service employees March 26, with the pay made retroactive to each employee’s anniversary date.
The details
City Administrator Gary Scott said the cost to fully reinstate the program for the 2025-26 budget cycle is about $1.12 million.
The step pay program gives eligible police and fire civil service employees pay increases tied to their anniversary dates, creating a more predictable pay progression over time, according to discussion during the meeting.
During the meeting, city officials said the move could be sustainably funded and tied that argument to city savings over the last two years. Council member Marsha Porter said she supported bringing step pay back if the funding could be found and sustained, while other council members said the change would help Conroe stay competitive as the city grows.
The agenda item applies specifically to fire and police civil service employees. Residents who spoke before council also backed the move, calling it the right step for first responders.
How we got here
As previously reported by Community Impact, Conroe City Council approved a 6% cost-of-living adjustment for all employees in September while keeping the property tax rate flat, after debate over whether police should receive a larger increase. At the time, officials said financial pressures made bigger department-specific raises difficult.
Other prior reporting in September 2025 also noted Conroe officers were still trailing Montgomery County’s new entry-level pay even after the 6% raise, and Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said the department had 19 vacancies and could not afford to keep losing officers.