Increasing compensation: Cities, county boost officer pay in FY 2025-26 budgets
Local law enforcement agencies addressed officer pay during the 2025-26 budget season, with Montgomery County leading the charge for a more competitive salary to match or exceed what is offered in the city of Houston.
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.
Quote of note: “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.”
Conroe ISD approves new Superintendent David Vinson
The Conroe ISD board of trustees has approved the hiring of David Vinson as the new superintendent in a 7-0 vote at its Sept. 18 special board meeting.
At a glance: Vinson was named as the lone finalist for CISD’s superintendent of schools in a unanimous vote during a special board meeting Aug. 27, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Digging deeper: Vinson has been the superintendent for Wylie ISD since 2011, which has over 19,300 students and 20 campuses. In comparison, CISD serves over 73,000 students across 71 campuses.
Notable quote: “I am beyond excited to join this great school district and serve our students, families, educators, and the broader community,” Vinson said. “I am humbled and honored that our board of trustees has chosen me to lead Conroe ISD, and I look forward to working alongside our staff to ensure every student grows in both academics and character.”
Montgomery City Council adopts FY 2025-26 budget, tax rate
Montgomery City Council approved its fiscal year 2025-26 budget and tax rate during a Sept. 15 special meeting.
The details: The council set the property tax rate at $0.4000 per $100 valuation, maintaining the same rate the city has used for the past several years. The rate includes $0.3258 for maintenance and operations and $0.0742 for debt service, according to city documents.
The FY 2025-26 general fund budget is $8.1 million in revenues and $7.6 million in expenses.
The budget also includes an added $60,000 for quality-of-life events, shifting those expenses from the Montgomery Economic Development Corp. to the city’s general fund under the Public Works department, Finance Director Maryann Carl said. Even with the change, the city projects a $351,000 surplus in the general fund, Carl said.
Visitors at NRG Park will have access to a new 240-foot-long rideshare canopy, according to a Sept. 11 news release from NRG Park. The canopy was officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 12.
The overview: The rideshare canopy, which is in the Yellow Lot of the park, will have the following features:
• Protected pedestrian loading zone • ADA-accessible walkways
The cost: The total project cost is estimated at $675,000, according to the news release.
Funding was split among the: • Houston Texans • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo • Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, or HCSCC •Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, 24
TIRZ 24 contributed $300,000, while the remaining cost was divided equally among HCSCC, the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the release notes.
Eligible K-12 students receive free school meals after legislature approves funding
This school year, students who are eligible for reduced-price meals can receive free breakfast and lunch at public schools across Texas.
The overview: During the recent legislative session, state lawmakers approved $19.8 million to cover the cost of reduced-price meals for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
What parents should know: Eligibility for free school meals is determined based on a family’s income through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Families can contact their school district to fill out an application for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year. Students who are deemed eligible for reduced-price meals will receive them at no cost through the 2026-27 school year.
What they're saying: “Kids who would have paid a small fee for meals will now receive them at no cost,” said Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas. “[School] is where we know so many kids get their meals—it is a guaranteed place for kids to have access to free and nutritional meals.”
