Fulshear police‑pay plan proposes phased raises; committee recommends creating voter‑approved crime‑control district funded by EDC sales tax reallocation

A committee convened by council presented a three‑year plan to raise police pay and add positions to improve recruitment and retention. The committee recommended a phased approach — moving compensation targets from roughly the 50th to the 70th percentile among peer agencies — combined with additions to staffing, vehicles and future dispatch capability.

To pay for the increases without raising the city’s overall M&O tax, the committee proposed creating a Crime Control & Prevention District (CCPD) funded by reallocating a portion of existing economic development corporation (EDC) sales‑tax revenues. The committee’s leading recommendation would halve the A board’s 0.5¢ allocation to 0.25¢ and dedicate the other 0.25¢ to the CCPD; an alternate recommendation would split smaller shares between EDCA and EDCB. Committee materials and staff stressed these are reallocations of local sales taxes rather than a brand‑new tax and that the change would require voter approval.

Brian White, president of the EDCA board, told council EDCA’s primary role is to fund infrastructure that enables commercial development and said EDCA will provide council a list of current commitments and obligations before any reallocation is finalized. City staff and council asked for a comprehensive list of outstanding EDC commitments, clarity on governance and board appointments for a CCPD, and options showing whether the quarter‑cent would cover projected PD costs in later years.

No final decision was taken; council asked staff to bring EDCA’s commitments, prospective project lists, and legal/governance options to a special meeting in February before placing any question on the May ballot.

Ending: The committee recommended the council consider the May election timeline so a temporary board could be created and, if voters approve the CCPD, a permanent board would follow; council directed staff to prepare the requested documentation.