Commissioner Ford Wants a Ten Percent Pay Raise

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Tom Green County Commissioner Bill Ford argued unsuccessfully for a ten percent raise for county elected officials Tuesday, specifically for the four commissioners whom he said are paid $10,000 to $15,000 less than commissioners in similar sized counties in West Texas.

Commissioner Ford explained that the cost of fuel and vehicle maintenance has increased drastically in the six years he has served as commissioner and that while they are compensated for vehicles, it hasn’t kept up with inflation.    

The discussion came during the annual budget process in which county commissioners vote to publish the maximum salaries they can adopt for the 28 elected officials in the county for Fiscal Year 2019.  County Judge Steve Floyd said during the meeting that the budget he has prepared contains a five percent raise for all county employees including elected officials. That five percent consists of a 2.7 percent Cost Of Living Adjustment or COLA salary increase and 2.3 percent merit raise that department heads distribute among their employees based upon job performance.

Commissioner Ralph Hoelscher said he didn’t think elected officials should get a larger pay increase than county employees.  Hoelscher said they can’t hire road and bridge employees now because the county doesn’t pay enough. With that, Hoelscher made a motion to set the maximum salary increase for elected officials at three percent.  Judge Floyd seconded the motion. While there were many elected officials in the courtroom, none of them spoke in favor or against the salary increase. With that, Judge Floyd called for the vote. The court voted four to one to publish the maximum salary for elected officials at three percent. Commissioner Ford cast the only vote against the three percent raise.  

After the four to one vote, Ford said, "I can see where this is headed."  

The vote to publish elected officials salaries begins a ten day process in which elected officials can file a grievance with the County Judge and request a salary grievance committee hearing. The court previously voted to create a salary grievance committee made up of half citizens and half elected officials.  

According to the Texas Association of Counties, Chapter 152 of the Local Government Code creates a salary grievance process for elected county officials to challenge their salaries, expenses, and allowances as set out in the proposed budget.

Under the Code, notice must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least 10 days prior to any meeting at which proposed increases in salaries, expenses or allowances will be discussed.

Written notice must also be provided to each elected county and precinct officer detailing the salary and personal expenses to be included in the budget. An elected county or precinct officer who disagrees with the salary or personal expenses provided in the proposed budget may request a hearing before the salary grievance committee before the budget’s final approval.

The nine-member salary grievance committee generally consists of the county judge, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, treasurer, county clerk, district clerk, county attorney or criminal district attorney, and the number of members of the public necessary to provide nine voting members. The county judge is chair of the committee but is not entitled to vote. As an alternative, the commissioners court may vote to have the committee consist of nine public members, which is also chaired by the county judge.

The decision by the salary grievance committee is final and cannot be appealed.