Pay for Houston firefighters is lower than other major Texas cities

Houston City Comptroller Chris Hollins hosted a public information session on May 6 to share information on how the proposed raises for local firefighters compare to other large fire departments in Texas .

The implementation

The city of Houston and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association reached a tentative agreement in March that, in addition to paying seven years of back pay, includes a requirement for a 10 percent raise starting July 1 and increase by up to 6% per year over the next four years.

According to Hollins’ presentation, the starting salary for Houston firefighters in the 2016-2017 fiscal year was approximately $43,500, the lowest starting salary among Texas’ major fire departments, as long as on an overall and hourly basis.

• Houston firefighters did not receive a raise from 2017 to 2021.
• From 2022 to 2024, firefighters received a 6% raise each year.
• The increases brought the starting salary to approximately $51,800 in 2024.
• On an hourly basis, HFD’s starting salary is still approximately 10% lower than the average for major Texas fire departments.

The proposed settlement would raise HFD’s starting salary to the Texas average by fiscal year 2025-2026 and exceed it by fiscal year 2028-29, Hollins said.

What are the options?

Hollins’ presentation included six different scenarios for how pay increases could have been granted, each showing firefighters’ starting salaries in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the settlement costs needed to reach those salaries and how much each firefighter would receive in total. arrears for the seven years they worked under contract.

Scenario 1: A scenario in which firefighters’ pay was aligned with the hourly average of other large city fire departments in Texas starting in the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

• Starting salary: $57,700
• Settlement value: $380 million
• Cost per firefighter: $85,000 to $95,000

Scenario 2: A scenario in which firefighters would receive a steady raise to match the state average by the 2024-25 fiscal year.

• Starting salary: $57,700
• Settlement value: $300 million
• Cost per firefighter: $70,000 to $80,000

Scenario 3: A scenario in which firefighters received the same percentage raise as police in the Houston Police Department every year from 2018-24.

• Starting salary: $55,300
• Settlement value: $260 million
• Cost per firefighter: $60,000 to $70,000

Scenario 4: A scenario in which HFD firefighters received the same percentage raise as other city employees each year between 2018 and 2024.

• Starting salary: $51,500
• Settlement value: $110 million
• Cost per firefighter: $25,000 to $30,000

Scenario 5: The proposed $650 million settlement

• Starting salary: $56,900
• Settlement value: $650 million
• Cost per firefighter: $155,000 to $165,000

Scenario 6: A $1.2 Billion Scenario or Potential Liability

• Starting salary: $66,400
• Settlement value: $1.2 billion
• Cost per firefighter: $290,000 to $300,000

Hollins said the presentation was intended to put the numbers into perspective for the benefit of Houston City Council members and increase understanding for affected Houstonians.

“As we move forward, the goal is to make us more competitive,” he said. “Looking back, the decision (the board) has to make is what is a fair amount to compensate him for not receiving these increases over time.”

Learn more

Houstonians can create their own personalized salary increase scenarios for firefighters from fiscal year 2018-19 through fiscal year 2024-25 using a new tool on the comptroller’s website.

Another point of view

Hollins’ presentation was criticized by both the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and Mayor John Whitmire, parties involved in negotiating the settlement.

In a May 6 statement, HPFFA President Marty Lancton took issue with some of the scenarios presented by Hollins, arguing that they did not properly consider state law that requires Houston firefighters are paid comparably to their private sector counterparts.

“The controller’s comments are not only inaccurate, but also disrespectful to the dedicated men and women who serve our city with courage and professionalism,” Lancton said.

Next steps

The proposed budget for the 2024-25 financial year is expected to be released in May following a series of departmental budget workshops from May 17-25.

The workshops will begin with a special meeting on budget and fiscal affairs on May 15 with a five-year forecast and budget overview. A public hearing will follow the proposed budget at the end of May or beginning of June.

Before the budget can be finalized, City Attorney Arturo Michel said the terms of the fire department’s agreement must be settled with the approval of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the attorney general and the City Council. Houston.

Michel said the intention is for everything to be finalized before the start of the new financial year, which begins July 1.