We, the undersigned citizens of Kerrville and supporters across Texas, stand with our city’s firefighters, police officers, EMS, and all first responders. These men and women risk their lives to protect our community, often working multiple jobs just to provide for their families.

But this fight is not only about first responders. Every city employee in Kerrville has been affected by these insurance changes. City staff are the backbone of the services residents rely on every day. When they are forced to shoulder hundreds of dollars in new healthcare costs each month, it weakens the entire city workforce and hurts the quality of services for everyone in Kerrville.

After the July 4th flood, our first responders worked around the clock under dangerous, exhausting conditions. Yet instead of receiving support, they are now facing a hidden pay cut through skyrocketing healthcare costs.

At the July 22, 2025 Employee Benefit Trust meeting, Kerrville City Council was repeatedly told “nothing will change with the PPO plan.” While staff did acknowledge the City would be contributing slightly less toward premiums, the presentation failed to show the real impact on employee paychecks. Council was never given clear, concrete examples of how much more first responder families would actually be paying each month. In reality, this lack of transparency left Council and the public unaware that families could see hundreds of dollars in new out-of-pocket costs just to keep their existing doctors, specialists, and mental health care.

This failure of transparency and the financial strain it has placed on those who serve Kerrville is unacceptable.

Our Asks

1. Accountability for the Process

• Place this issue on the next City Council agenda for full review.
• Launch an independent audit of how insurance changes were presented to Council and employees.
• Require transparency in all future benefits negotiations.

2. Immediate Financial Relief

• Provide Hazard Pay for firefighters, police, EMS, and city workers who served tirelessly during the July 4 flood.
• Approve an emergency cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) or supplemental stipend to offset the sudden insurance burden.
• Guarantee 100% City contribution toward health insurance premiums on the PPO Plan immediately for employees, 70% for spouses, 75% for children, and 70% for family. This ensures Kerrville can remain competitive in recruitment, retention, and fairness, while protecting the families who dedicate their lives to serving this community.

3. Long-Term Solutions

• Begin planning now for fair pay raises, sustainable healthcare, and improved support for Kerrville’s first responders in the FY2027 budget.

To keep the focus squarely on our mission — ensuring City Council fully understands the inadequacies of Kerrville’s new health insurance coverage — we have amended the petition to remove the item calling for the resignation or removal of City Manager Dalton Rice. Our priority is to highlight the impact of these benefit changes on city employees and their families and to advocate for fair, sustainable solutions moving forward.

Closing Statement

Kerrville cannot claim to value its heroes — or its workforce — while stripping them of livable wages and essential healthcare.