AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's new police contract is almost a done deal, but some council members have raised concerns over how personnel files will be treated going forward.
The G-file has been at the center of a long, drawn-out debate – one that ended up in the middle of a legal battle. A Travis County judge ruled that the city must end its use.
Councilmember Chito Vela released a memo that requested clarity on the tentative employment agreement that was reached by the city and the Austin Police Association on Monday. Vela stated that while it appears that the contract for officers complies with the voter-approved measure, he wants the city's attorney to provide a legal memo clarifying that it does.
"I want to see and understand how we're going to treat the personnel files and what the process is going to be for the public to have access to these personnel files," Vela said. "The most important thing is that we have clarity as to what impacts the contract will have on the transparency and accountability that Austin voters have demanded."
Last year, Austinites voted to do away with the G-file.
Concerns lie with how the G-files will be accessed – old and new – and how much information will be made available to the public.
"The language, in particular, is the most complex and we have to make sure to get it," Vela said.
Vela has given city staff an Oct. 2 deadline. Councilmembers are expected to vote on the contract on Oct. 10.
Other councilmembers echoed Vela's concerns. In a statement, Zo Qadri of District 9 said:
"When reviewing the agreement, I have concerns about the vagueness in the sections pertaining to the G-file, and would like clarification before Council takes final action. We need public access to all G-file information, past and present, and to move forward with a transparent system that allows for public availability of police personnel records."
However, after a mayoral forum held on Wednesday, Mayor Kirk Watson remained steadfast that the contract would fully eliminate Prop A, the voter-approved measure.
"The city attorney's office will have to certify that Prop A is in accordance with the court opinion in this contract, and it has said that that's the case," Watson said.
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock also released the following statement:
"The proposed tentative agreement has removed the barriers to Prop A and has been certified by the city attorney as being compliant with the ordinance. All sides need to recognize that at the end of the day, a final court ruling will likely govern g file - not a contract. We are in a staffing crisis, in a public safety crisis, have bargained for 6 months, been out of contract for 2 years, and this agreement has been certified by the city attorney. Failure to adopt this tentative agreement will be a catastrophic mistake that has the potential to destroy public safety in Austin."
City Manager T.C. Broadnax also sent out a statement regarding the confusion:
“In response to questions I have received regarding the Tentative Agreement reached by the City and the Austin Police Association, I want to clarify issues specifically related to the ‘G-file,’” said Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “The City of Austin no longer maintains G-files. Prop A and the current court ruling confirm and further provide assurance that there are no G-files. Additionally, specific to the Tentative Agreement between the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association, there are no G-files during the entire time frame of the contract – five years. Further, based on the recent court decision as it relates to G-files, the City is – and will – release any information requested through a public information request in the same way all other such requests are processed. These measures comply with Prop A.”