County Judge Dan Gattis began a conversation regarding training and pay requirements for poll workers at the June 4 Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting.

Since 2004, wages have been $10 per hour for election judges and early voting supervisors and $8 per hour for clerks and alternate judges, according to court materials.

Outgoing Elections Administrator Rick Barron conducted a survey of poll workers in counties of similar size to Williamson County. His findings led the elections office to propose an increase to $14 per hour for temporary location and part-time early voting supervisors, $13 per hour for early voting supervisors and election day judges, $12 per hour for early voting alternate supervisors and clerks, and $11 per hour for election day alternate judges and clerks.

Gattis also proposed that poll workers be held responsible for attending training sessions and passing tests on materials presented at the sessions.

"There's some feeling here that this has to do with our outgoing elections administrator," Gattis said. "This is Dan Gattis. I think this needs to be approved and enforced so poll workers start complying."

Sue Schrowang, an election judge who said she has worked elections for almost 20 years, addressed the court to say she supports a pay increase, but wasn't sure that this was the right time to move forward with it.

"I think we should wait for the new elections administrator to come in," Schrowang said. "We need more discussion, feedback and input from party chairs and election workers."

Schrowang said she would prefer giving her feedback regarding elections training face-to-face rather than in a questionnaire or survey, as poll workers had been approached in the past.

Gattis said he was planning to have a meeting with party representatives to discuss rewording poll worker requirements to ensure employees are knowledgeable.

"We want proof training happened and requirements for the training," Gattis said. "We have a good number of poll workers who won't go through training, but end up as judges each year."

Further discussion regarding poll worker pay increases and training requirements is planned for future commissioner court meetings.