The overview
The raises, which were unanimously approved at the Sept. 24 Fort Bend County Commissioners Court, will range from 4% to 53%, with an average of 22.2% higher than last year’s pay, Director of Human Resources Nicole Ledet said.
The raises come after FBCSO officials urged county officials to help address the department’s detention staffing shortage. Sheriff Eric Fagan cited poor working conditions and noncompetitive pay as pain points when looking to hire and retain employees.
“[The raises] will allow our law enforcement agencies to be able to attract new personnel into their agencies at a rate of pay that we believe is competitive to other counties,” Ledet said.
Breaking it down
Nearly $8.67 million will go to 650 employees within the sheriff’s office, while $737,260 will be divided among 66 employees in the constable’s offices in precincts 1-4. An additional $770,444 will go to 127 employees in various departments.
The raises will be implemented in two phases, with Phase 1 adjusting up to 10% of an individual’s salary, while Phase 2 will add supplemental funding if an individual receives over a 10% increase, Director of Finance and Investments Pamela Gubbels said.
The raises are based on aligning with current market pay rates and rewarding employees for remaining in their roles longterm, Ledet said.
The cost
Funding will be provided by freezing 58 of the 123 FBCSO vacant positions as well as cost of living adjustment funds, Gubbels said.
The positions in the sheriff’s office will be frozen for the entirety of FY 2024-25, which ends Sept. 30, 2025; however, the sheriff can request some or all of the positions back in next year’s budget, she said
Looking ahead
Phase 1 of raises go into effect Oct. 12, while Phase 2 will be implemented in mid-April, Gubbels said.
