Mayor John Whitmire announced at a City of Houston news conference that the city, the Houston Police Department and the Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU) have reached a five-year collective bargaining agreement that raises pay for rank-and-file officers by a total of 36.5% over five years.

The agreement, Whitmire said, includes a 10% across-the-board increase in the first year, followed by 8% in 2026, 6% in 2027, 6% in 2028 and 6.5% in the fifth year. Whitmire described the package as intended to improve recruitment and retention and to show appreciation for officers who "go to work each and every day and have been underpaid and underappreciated by the city of Houston for many, many years."

The contract, Whitmire said, will be reflected in the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget, which city finance leaders plan to release next Tuesday. Melissa (finance official) told reporters the FY26 proposed budget will "lay it all out in detail" and that the city plans to quantify the efficiencies and savings that will fund the contract in that release and in a council committee meeting the following Wednesday.

Houston Police Department Chief Diaz called the agreement "generational for this police department," saying the package will be "life changing" for new cadets and will help the department compete with other Texas agencies for officers. Doug Griffith, president of HPOU, said officers had been "working far too long, short staffed, underpaid" and credited the negotiating teams and community support for the agreement.

Mayor Whitmire told reporters the city currently employs about 5,200 officers and is roughly 1,200 officers short; he said the raises should help reduce attrition of officers who leave for higher pay elsewhere. Thomas Harden, the mayor's executive chief who helped lead the negotiations for the department, said the compensation gap had been "choking our ability to recruit and retain" and that the contract helps align pay with the city's size and the department's role.

Officials provided a city cost estimate during the briefing: Whitmire said the increase would cost roughly $67,000,000 in the first year and about $832,000,000 over five years. Whitmire and his finance official said the contract cost is included in the FY26 proposed budget and that the administration plans to fund it through a mix of efficiency measures, reorganization and savings from recent retirements.

Reporters asked whether the contract changed disciplinary procedures. Officials said there were minimal changes. Doug Griffith and others indicated the existing 180-day rule and core disciplinary processes were unchanged. Officials described several technical or administrative changes: making it easier for the chief to authorize a program that allows suspended officers to use vacation time in lieu of missing a paycheck, adjustments related to arbitration timing and payment handling, and cleanup language about arbitrator selection and promotional procedures. The briefing characterized these as administrative clarifications rather than substantive procedural overhauls.

Mayor Whitmire cited near-term staffing pressures from large events, noting the World Cup and the Republican National Convention as upcoming demands that make recruitment and retention a priority. Whitmire said the administration also plans further work to eliminate waste and duplication in city government and pointed to recent retirements as part of cost-management steps.

Next steps identified by city officials: the FY26 proposed budget release next Tuesday and a council committee meeting on the budget the following Wednesday, where officials said the city will present detailed funding assumptions and the results of an efficiency study referenced during the briefing.

The agreement was announced publicly at the news conference; officials said it reflects negotiations between the city, HPD leadership and the Houston Police Officers Union and will be implemented through the city's budget process.