Changes for the salary of elected officials passed in a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, who appeared via videoconference, opposed. The changes—which will be in effect starting Oct. 1 for fiscal year 2019—amount to a combined increase of $182,922, including benefits, for county officials.
“The approval of these salaries is for the positions, not the personalities in office,” said Commissioner Margaret Gomez. “The officials can either take [the raises] or not.”
The 17 compensation allocation proposals weighed by the commissioners for county employees ranged from funding a benchmark study to compensating overtime and temporary work to a two percent general increase for classified employees and more.
“It’s a starting point,” County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said about the compensation discussion. “There is some ambiguity that remains.”
The budget for the county’s compensation in fiscal year 2019 is $13.64 million, according to county documents. Full cost implications are still being calculated as options are weighed, Eckhardt said. The options presented at Commissioners Court on July 31 total nearly $33 million.
“All of these have fluctuating numbers,” Eckhardt said. “[We are] holding out for additional information in terms of cost estimates.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Elected officials: The County Judge’s Office will notify elected officials of the approved salaries. The deadline for an elected official to file a grievance is August 7 at 5 p.m.
County employees: Travis County Planning and Budget Office will continue to refine compensation allocation proposals. The proposals will return in the budget process and the commissioners will vote on them at that time.
The chart below, provided by Travis County, details the new maximum salaries for elected officials in fiscal year 2019.
