The overview
District judges will see their county supplement rise to the state-allowed maximum of $25,000, up from $18,000—totaling a salary of $200,000. Commissioners also unanimously approved phased raises for associate judges to help with court caseloads, with salaries set to reach $180,000 by 2027.
Nonjudicial elected officials—including commissioners and the county judge—will receive a 1% raise tied to potential increases for county employees. Officials said the modest adjustment reflects the county’s tight budget.
Why it matters
The Texas Legislature last adjusted the base salary for district judges in 2019, raising it from $140,000 to $175,000. In the most recent session, lawmakers boosted the maximum counties are able to supplement from $18,000 to $25,000.
Travis County’s approved salary increases for judges and associate judges could help its Counsel at First Appearance program by attracting and retaining experienced courtroom staff and reducing turnover—something court employees and justice reform advocates have consistently highlighted to commissioners.
Because associate judges handle caseloads across criminal, civil and probate courts, the salary increase could improve efficiency and help reduce court backlogs.
What else?
Historically, the Commissioners Court has aimed to align salary increases for elected officials with those recommended for county employees.
While a 1% raise was approved for nonjudicial elected officials, the court has not yet finalized fiscal year 2025-26 compensation decisions for county staff, pending the results of an ongoing market study. The study, which began in 2022, has drawn some criticism from commissioners for using methodologies they say are flawed.
Following budget markup discussions, the Human Resources Management Department was authorized to conduct additional analysis over the next 60 days. This work will include reviewing benchmark data from the market study and identifying solutions to address pay compression and market salary disparities, which have been described as a “lingering concern” and a “serious inequity.”
Since 2022, Travis County’s lowest-paid employees have received steady wage increases. An across-the-board raise in 2022 lifted hourly pay from $15 to $20, followed by three consecutive years of county employee pay increases.
Last budget season saw a 5% increase, starting the minimum wage for county employees at $21.84 an hour, with an annual salary of $45,427.
Despite these gains, staff in other areas, such as the Public Defender’s Office, have continued to raise concerns about improper compensation.
The outlook
The overall limited budget and significant health insurance overruns—which carried a several million dollar price tag—are restraining the money available for compensation, which contributes to the cautious approach to employee increases, Commissioner Brigid Shea said.
“We are in an exceptionally tight budget. We just transferred $13.6 million today because our health insurance is so severely overdrawn,” Shea said. “We know we're looking at much higher costs at least next year and probably future years. We just don't have much money to spend on compensation.”
The ongoing market study is intended to modernize the pay structure to be diligent and thoughtful with limited resources in the upcoming fiscal year, human resources department staff said.
“We should not treat the budget as a zero-sum game,” Commissioner Jeff Travillion said. “It's not just what happened this year; there's a path that got us here and a number of decisions that got us here. We have to take a broader view and address historical inadequacies.”
County commissioners are slated to formally approve the FY 2025-26 budget Sept. 30. Human Resources Department heads are expected to provide an update on employee compensation plans Oct. 10.
The Planning and Budget Office currently has earmarked $27.2 million for compensation and benefits, according to county documents.
