CC MEETING: December 2, 2025
DATE: November 21, 2025
TO: Erin Rinehart, City Manager
FROM: Roberto Arredondo, Chief of Police
Samantha Dean, Director of Workforce Services
Title
Consider A Resolution Authorizing A Third Extension To A Civil Service Employee’s Injury Leave As It Pertains To Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143.073.
Body
BACKGROUND:
Police Officer Matthew Moorhead sustained a line-of-duty injury on February 19, 2024. In accordance with Texas Local Government Code Section 143.073, he received the statutory one year of civil service injury leave. Texas Local Government Code Section 143.073 provides that a municipality shall provide to a fire fighter or police officer a leave of absence for an illness or injury related to the person’s line of duty. The leave must be at full pay for a period commensurate with the nature of the line-of-duty illness or injury. If necessitated by the illness or injury, the leave must continue for at least one year. At the end of the year, the municipality’s governing body may extend the line of duty illness or injury leave at full or reduced pay. If the governing body chooses not to extend the leave, or if the person’s salary is reduced below 60 percent of the regular monthly salary, the person may be entitled to retire on pension until able to return. On July 19, 2011, City Council adopted a line of duty injury or illness leave policy that provided for three total extensions of three months each (the “Leave Policy”). The first two extensions are processed administratively, but the third must be considered by City Council. Further, the Leave Policy only allows an extension if the employee has not reached maximum medical improvement (“MMI”).
Upon expiration of the one-year entitlement, Officer Moorhead requested, and the city previously approved two three-month extensions, totaling six months of additional injury leave.
Officer Moorhead was released to light-duty by his physician on May 28, 2024, and subsequently served in a light-duty assignment for ninety days, as allowed by city directive and Police standard operating procedure. At the conclusion of the ninety-day period, Officer Moorhead returned to full-time civil service injury leave.
Officer Moorhead continues to receive treatment for his injury and has now requested his final, third three-month extension of injury leave. Based on current medical information, Officer Moorhead is anticipated to return to work around February 24, 2026, and has not reached MMI.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
To date, the worker’s compensation claims, temporary income benefits (TIBs) and paid injury leave received by Officer Moorhead for this injury total $296,541.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Staff requests Council consider Officer Moorhead request for a third and final civil service injury leave extension which would end on March 26, 2026, or until he returns to work or reaches MMI.