Saturday, April 20, 2024
Federal grant to pay for law enforcement hikes through 2023
After looking at counties with comparable populations and budgets as Coryell, the county commissioners proposed giving most county employees raises.
The proposal was presented during a budget workshop July 26, and amendments are possible as the county continues their budget process in August.
“Our elected officials are, across the board, severely underpaid,” Coryell County Judge Roger Miller said in a phone interview with the Messenger. “Someone needs to address it.”
If the proposal is approved the county judge would receive a $6,246 raise, each commissioner would receive a $4,175 raise; the county treasurer, clerk, district clerk and tax assessor/collector would receive a $3,877 raise; the sheriff would receive a $2,622 raise; the Justice of the Peace would receive a $4,153 raise; each constable would receive a $1,821 raise. The raises are currently proposed to be funded through the general fund.
All county employees designated as law enforcement, which includes dispatchers, would receive a $1,000 raise; jailers would receive a $1,500 raise; road and bridge employees would receive a $1,500 raise. These raises would be paid for with American Rescue Plan Act money, and only through the fiscal year 2023 budget. The county would have to absorb the cost from the general fund the following year.
The Justice of the Peace and a few constables were the only officials to request salary increases during budget talks.
In an email on July 28, Judge Miller said the genesis of the proposal came from knowing numerous county employees are making more than elected officials. After researching what other comparable counties paid their elected officials, Miller decided Coryell County officials were making considerably less across the board.
Judge Miller looked at all Texas counties with budgets within $3 million of Coryell County’s $25.9 million budget, finding 19. He also looked at all Texas counties with a population between 50,000 and 100,000 to compare to Coryell County’s 76,000. He found 24. Hardin, Starr and Nacogdoches counties were the only counties to appear on both lists.
The analysis was given to each commissioner at budget workshops. A copy was provided to the Messenger.
The Coryell County sheriff, county attorney and constables were the only positions whose salaries were above the averages of all 19 counties with budgets within $3 million of Coryell County. The rest of the positions ranked near the bottom of the pay scale, including the judge who ranked dead last and over $23,000 below the average.
Any elected official or employee that does not wish to receive the raise can decline it. If approve the new figure will, however, be the base pay for any newly elected official or new employee at that position.
A hearing regarding the proposed pay increases will be held on Aug. 16, 2021 at 8:45 a.m. on the second floor of the Coryell County Courthouse at 620 East Main Street. Residents can also email or call their county commissioner. Contact information can be found at coryellcounty.org.
