District Attorney's Office 'Crippled' by Budget Busting Salary 'Crisis'

SAN ANGELO – The two elected District Attorneys in Tom Green County appeared before the Tom Green County Commissioners Court Tuesday just two weeks before budget hearings begin to plea for a huge increase in salaries for their assistant attorneys because of a 'crisis' created by higher salaries paid by the State of Texas to attorneys in the new Concho Valley Public Defenders Office across the street.  

119th District Attorney John Best told the court that his office has 12 prosecutors with three vacancies; one attorney left in April 2022, one went to work for the State of Texas last week, and one left the DA's office to for the Public Defender's Office three weeks ago because of higher salaries. 

Best told the Court the Public Defender's Office pays 20% more than the District Attorney's Office.  

"We can't afford to lose more prosecutors to higher salaries." Best said.  "Allison (Palmer, 51st District Attorney) and I aren't asking for raises."  "They deserve to be compensated."

Best said they are only asking for parity with the Public Defender's Office.  The challenge is that 66% of the Public Defender's Office Salaries is paid by the State of Texas while most of the salaries in the District Attorney's Office is paid from Tom Green County property tax dollars.  

The timing couldn't be worse because of the huge increase in property appraisals issued by the TGC Central Appraisal District.  Thousands of county residents were shocked when they received their property tax appraisals after the first of the year.  Many protested the new, higher appraisals that San Angelo Mayor Brenda Gunter and State Representative Drew Darby said created a crisis.  San Angelo LIVE! held a special edition on the tax appraisal crisis.  Click here to see that show.

Palmer told Commissioners the request, "...couldn't wait til budget time because it is such a crisis," and that the assistant district attorneys "don't feel appreciated because of the extreme pay disparity.  It  is not what they deserve.  The pay disparity is crippling the DA's office."

Best and Palmer requested the Commissioners Court immediately approve a $146,000 salary increase spread among the assistant district attorneys for the current fiscal year.  

In response, County Judge Lane Carter said, "I knew this was going to come up (when the Public Defender's Office was created), and here we are."

Commissioner Hoelscher said, "Every (County) department wants more money.  Y'all have come in at a bad time and at budget it's going to be even worse."

Palmer responded, "We will be back and we will be asking for more."

Commissioners approved shifting $75,000 from a vacant assistant district attorney salary line item to disperse among the assistant attorneys for the remaining months of the fiscal year.  That move was to bring them up to near 'market' value for their jobs in an effort to keep them from leaving the DA's office for the Public Defender's office.  

The Tom Green County Commissioners Court budget hearings begin July 7, 2023.  All 30 county departments are expected to make similar salary requests during the budget process.