Conroe - Montgomery Edition | September 2025

From the cover

Increasing compensation

A closer look

The big picture

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 incen- tives, 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. In a survey conducted Aug. 22-Sept. 3, the Conroe Police Officers Association asked officers if they’d consider a transfer to another agency if pay parity is not met this fiscal year, and: 50% said they would leave 30% said they would consider leaving

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.

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

Montgomery County deputy base pay four-year plan

Years in service FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY 2028-29 0-3.99 $60,528 $70,928 $81,952 $90,896 $101,296 4-5.99 $66,019 $76,336 $87,360 $96,304 $106,704 6-8.99 $70,783 $80,704 $91,728 $100,672 $111,072 9-11.99 $73,756 $84,032 $95,056 $104,000 $114,400 12-15.99 $77,126 $87,568 $98,592 $107,536 $117,936 16+ $82,638 $92,976 $104,000 $112,944 $123,344

20% said they would not consider leaving

SOURCE: CONROE POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION / COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Put in perspective

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.”

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

Department breakdown

Conroe

Montgomery

Current officers 151

Current officers 16

Current openings: 19

Current openings: 1

Starting pay: $64,920 With COLA increase: $68,816

Starting pay: $60,000- $62,000

SOURCE: CONROE, MONTGOMERY POLICE DEPARTMENTS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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