Jonathan Zitzmann, chief deputy with Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, on Aug. 12 presented a pay parity plan to Commissioners Court in response to concerns raised in May by Sheriff Wesley Doolittle, which commissioners adopted Sept. 5.
Zitzmann said Montgomery County will focus on recruiting, retaining and rewarding law enforcement.
“A lot of our guys are working a second job,” Judge Mark Keough said. “Doing this ... gives them some freedom to choose not to work that second job, and allows them to spend more time with their family.”
The big picture
On Sept. 5, county commissioners approved a fiscal year 2025-26 budget that prioritizes officer pay through a $9 million pay parity plan. Meanwhile, the cities of Conroe and Montgomery also addressed compensation in their budgets.
Montgomery continued incremental salary increases, Police Chief Anthony Solomon said, while Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said city officers had gone six years without raises before this year.
At a special meeting Sept. 4, Conroe City Council gave staff the direction to maintain a flat property tax rate and implement a 6% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for all employees as part of the city’s FY 2025-26 budget, which was approved Sept. 12.
The city of Montgomery, on the other hand, continued its annual 3% cost-of-living raises and up to 5% merit increases, supported partly through the city’s crime control and prevention district. Voters approved the district to be created last November, helping fund the police department through sales tax revenue.
“We were right in line with where we needed to be,” Solomon said.
Buckholtz said the Conroe Police Department employs 151 officers but has 19 openings, and training a single officer can cost around $300,000.
“I can’t afford to lose anyone,” Buckholtz said.
He said base pay for a licensed officer is $64,920. With the 6% cost-of-living raise taking effect Oct. 1, first-year officers will earn $68,816—still $2,112 less than Montgomery County’s entry-level pay.
“46% of our department has less than eight years here. ... They could leave and go,” Buckholtz said.
Conroe offers certificate and education incentives, but Buckholtz said universal take-home vehicles aren’t provided.
“It’s really not a seller’s market ... they get to pick us versus us pick them,” he said.
Solomon said his city has been able to stay ahead of the curve by steadily raising pay over the past several years. Montgomery City Council has approved cost-of-living adjustments and merit raises each year since his appointment in 2019, while also funding benefits like city-supported medical coverage and $100 monthly health cards that help with prescriptions or co-pays.
Solomon also points to training as a key factor in retention. He said officers logged nearly 4,000 training hours last year, preparing them not only for police work but also for future careers.
He said the base pay ranges from $60,000 to $62,000, but with additional pay for certifications and education levels, officers can earn $70,000 or more.
“If you come in with a bachelor’s degree ... you’re easily at about $67,000 just to start,” Solomon said.
City of Montgomery officers will receive a 3% cost-of-living raise in October, with up to 5% in merit increases available in January, Solomon said.
Montgomery’s CCPD also shifted more than $323,000 away from the general fund in its first year and is projected to offset $600,000 by the next budget cycle.
“[The CCPD] allows that money to go back for other city needs,” Solomon said.
Meanwhile, population growth is also shaping staffing needs. Buckholtz said the Conroe Police Department is on pace for 85,000 calls this year—about 232 calls daily. No new positions have been added in three years due to a hiring freeze, despite rising demand.
Buckholtz said that with increasing demands and no new positions added, his officers are stretched thin.
“I want the citizens ... to be well represented,” Buckholtz said. “Have somebody come when they call 911, people tell me it takes too long for somebody to get there. We have to prioritize calls, because we have so many.”
During the Conroe City Council Sept. 4 meeting, several council members said they supported higher raises for police officers but pointed to financial pressures that made parity unrealistic this year.
“If we can’t compete, we’re going to lose not just the people we’re trying to hire, but the people that are currently on the force,” council member Harry Hardman said.
Council member Marsha Porter said increasing pay for one department would be unfair to others and that the city must also focus on infrastructure, such as water and sewer, and debt tied to the new Oscar Johnson Jr. Enrichment & Recreation Center.
Porter and council member David Hairel said the council had to weigh long-term obligations.
“How can we plan a budget or promise raises to 150-plus employees only, not even knowing what our sewer needs are going to be?” Porter said.
The impact
Conroe and Montgomery’s police chiefs said the conversation on pay parity cannot be separated from the realities of growth.
“As we build, we have to grow,” Buckholtz said.
Buckholtz said that while education and certification incentives help, pay remains the most important factor in attracting and retaining officers.
Without competitive salaries, Buckholtz said “attracting a candidate here is going to be that much more difficult.”
Both chiefs said planning now will determine how their departments keep pace. Solomon said by 2028, the city’s population will double.
“By this time next year, ... that’s when we’ll be looking to ... boost in hiring,” Solomon said.
Quotes of note
- “Citizens deserve the best. When you dial 911, you want the most professional person to respond—and that requires keeping our officers here.” —Jon Buckholtz, Conroe police chief
- “It’s not always just about pay. Officers want a good environment, strong training and benefits that support their families.” —Anthony Solomon, Montgomery police chief
