In a nutshell
Harris County commissioners considered a proposed 64% salary increase for the county’s eight elected constables, which would raise their annual salary to $292,796. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia proposed granting the constables the raise if they agree to consolidate their departments’ dispatch and evidence services.
“I am still waiting to see if the constables will participate in consolidation, and my vote is contingent on consolidation to increase their salaries,” Garcia said.
However, Garcia’s motion died for lack of a second Aug. 26.
The constable’s current annual salary is $178,506, said Brooke Boyett, director of communications for the Harris County Office of County Administration, via a Sept. 4 email.
The last salary increase awarded to the county’s eight constables was implemented in September 2024.
During the Aug. 26 meeting, multiple members of the public spoke against the proposed constable raises and other budget changes.
“Shifting Harris County funds from youth and homelessness nonprofits to police officer salaries could cause a greater strain on social services and a potential rise in crime,” said Jasmine Stelly, a staff member for local nonprofit advocacy group Collective Action for Youth.
Going forward
When it comes to reviewing salary pay and potential pay raises for elected county officials, such as Harris County’s eight elected constables, officials can pursue such measures through a salary grievance committee, First Assistant Harris County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne said Aug. 26.
According to a 2004 Texas law, Senate Bill 189 allows elected officials to contest their pay by way of a public hearing overseen by a county-appointed grievance committee. The committee, according to the law, consists of several elected county officials, including the county judge, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, treasurer, county clerk, district clerk, county attorney and nine voting members.
Harris County is in the process of assembling its grievance committee on Sept. 9, according to court agenda documents.
In case you missed it
Harris County commissioners passed a motion May 22 that paves the way for increasing county law enforcement pay. This is leading up to the fiscal year 2025-26 budget adoption Sept.18—a decision with a $140 million county price tag that will require identifying necessary savings to provide for raises.
What else?
On Aug. 26, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis expressed concern about the idea of funding elected official salaries through a $50 million pot of money the county has set aside for pay equity for the lowest-paid county employees. At least $37 million of designated funding has been allocated from the county’s pay equity study for various 2025 pay parity measures, such as increasing the minimum wage rate, according to Budget Director Daniel Ramos.
“That's the height of hypocrisy, if we go set aside a vote on a pot of money for pay equity for people at the bottom, but then we go give it to folks at the top,” Ellis said.
Ramos said his office will present commissioners with the identified FY 2025-26 budget and service cuts to fund potential salary increases during a Sept. 9 court meeting.
