AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin organization wants to stop the Austin police union from potentially getting a contract with the city.
On Tuesday, Equity Action requested a temporary restraining order to halt a vote on the Meet and Confer Agreement, which is set to be decided upon on Thursday.
The group believes the contract is too costly, as it would average $218 million over a five-year period. Instead, they want the money to support other city services.
Police have been working without a contract for more than a year, and some believe it would be a necessary addition to help employ more officers to the short-staffed department. City leaders also heard from Austinities during a work session Tuesday, many of which disagreed with the contract.
Austinites who signed up to speak before council addressed their concerns over the impending contract, which is set to be voted on on Oct. 24.
A bulk of those who signed up to speak asked city leaders to consider voting “no” on the contract. The reasons were the so-called “G-files” and the impact of the budget.
The G-files are personnel files of officers accused of misconduct, which have caused a wedge in police contract negotiations. The problems lie with the full implementation of the Austin Police Oversight Act, the language regarding the files, and how much will be released.
The first batch of G-files were released last week and the city has stated that the contract complies with the Austin Police Oversight Act.
In prior meetings, supporters said the contract would boost staffing and recruiting for APD, which will help improve response times as well as address property crimes.