CC MEETING: March 24, 2026
DATE: March 5, 2026
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 Jennifer Monroe sustained a line-of-duty injury on July 11, 2024. In accordance with Texas Local Government Code Section 143.073, she 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 Monroe requested, and the city previously approved two three-month extensions, totaling six months of additional injury leave. The current extension will end on April 8, 2026.
Officer Monroe was released to light-duty b...
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