The salaries to be reviewed include the position of county judge, county commissioner, county constable, justice of the peace, county treasurer, county tax assessor, district clerk, county clerk, county attorney and county sheriff. County staff will also study potential stipends and supplemental pay for cellphone and vehicle costs.
The county’s HR team reviews salaries each year, comparing to counties larger and smaller by population. This year, the staff will look at compensation for elected officials in Bell, Brazoria, Hayes, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Denton, Collin and Travis counties.
Precinct 4 County Commissioner Russ Boles said elected officials have a chance to protest the compensation the court chooses.
“It is something that’s being tracked and something that conversations that elected officials are having with us,” he said. “It’s not a random act that we’re reviewing it. It is part of the schedule.”
In July, the court approved a 5% pay raise for all county elected officials, bringing the commissioners’ pay to $116,515 annually. It also increased the salary for county judge to $143,090; constable, $103,725; county attorney, $176,587; county sheriff, $144,557; county clerk, $118,527; and county tax assessor, $123,255.
During a public comment portion of the meeting, the court was asked if the public will have a chance to weigh in on any potential pay raises. County Judge Bill Gravell said one of the reasons the court was elected is to set the salaries.
“I think the decision that we have of setting a salary is a constitutional authority that we’ve been given by the state of Texas,” Gravell said. “If the constituents are not pleased with the salaries we set, they have an opportunity in the next election to vote that person out of office.”
