Commissioners Shape Budget
During budget work July 28 and Aug. 11, discussions of salaries took most of Glasscock County Commissioners’ time. Budget figures proposed on Aug. 11 may well be the final ones, but the tax rate will not be set and the budget will not be adopted until Sept. 8, and two public hearings will be held Aug. 25 and 29. [Call the county judge (354-2382), county treasurer (354-2415), or county clerk (354-2371) after Aug. 15 for times of these meetings.]
The commissioners’ court used data compiled by Deputy Sheriff Keith Burnett regarding salaries in four adjoining counties as a basis for local salary increases. Those figures are: Upton County Judge $66,040, Commissioners $45,760, Treasurer $53,664, County/District Clerk $53,664, Sheriff $56,680, Tax Assessor $53,664; Reagan County Judge $42,273, Commissioners $31,101, Treasurer $42,273, County/District Clerk $42,273, Sheriff $50,631, Tax Assessor $42,273; Martin County Judge $52,068, Commissioners $23,913, Treasurer $38,430, County/District Clerk $38,430, Sheriff $45,240, Tax Assessor $38,430; Sterling County Judge $43,300, Commissioners $20,580, Treasurer $43,300, County/District Clerk $43,300, Sheriff $43,300, Tax Assessor $43,300.
The averages for these four counties are: Judge $50,420, Commissioners $30,338, Treasurer $43,916, County/District Clerk $43,916, Sheriff, $48,462, Tax Assessor $43,916.
Currently, Glasscock County pays its Judge $26,520, Commissioners $23,100, Treasurer $31,400, County/District Clerk $32,000, Sheriff/ Tax Assessor $37,100 and Tax Appraiser $15,100.
Raises for Elected Officials Proposed
In the proposed budget, the sheriff’s salary is set at $43,000, and each of two deputies will earn $38,800. Burnett reminded the court that the three men will be on call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and they get paid no overtime. He also pointed out that he has eliminated the sheriff’s office part-time dispatcher position [formerly held by his wife, Tisha Burnett], saving the county more than $12,000 per year. He said the county will now have a full-time, working sheriff’s department serving its residents. Burnett said the second deputy has been hired and will begin work Oct. 1.
The tax assessor, newly separated from the sheriff’s job, will have a salary of $38,000 plus the chief appraiser’s salary of $15,100, which is set and paid by the Glasscock County Appraisal District. The deputy tax assessor will be paid $30,800, up from that position’s $27,200 last year. The county/district clerk will make $38,000, and her deputy will make $30,800, up from that position’s $27,800 last year.
Longer Hours for Courthouse Offices?
Commissioner Jimmy Strube said that while he wasn’t trying to tell anyone how to run his or her office, people in the county complain about the hours kept by county offices. He said the salary increases might cause people to expect longer, more convenient office hours. County Clerk Becky Batla said her office is open from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is open through the noon hour. Tax Assessor-elect Nancy Hillger said when she holds the office officially, it will also be open 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and through the noon hour. Hillger asked Strube if he had ever asked those complaining to talk directly to the person in charge of the office? He replied, “I’m just passing on what I hear.”
The county judge will be paid $34,500, plus a state stipend of $15,000. The justice of the peace will have a salary of $22,000, up from $19,500 last year. (She is also paid $9,000 as the judge’s secretary.)
County commissioners will make $26,100. In discussion, Commissioner Marck Schafer suggested that since the court was basing many of its salaries on Sterling County’s, it should do the same with commissioners’ pay (Sterling pays them $20,580). He added, “We shouldn’t get those commissioners’ salaries up too high, or somebody good might run.”
The county treasurer will make $38,000. County Treasurer Alan Dierschke pointed out that his office and Sterling County’s are the only treasurer’s offices in the four counties surveyed without a full-time assistant.
Necessity of Constable’s Job Questioned
Commissioners discussed the constable’s job and salary at some length, and finally decided on a salary of $13,000, up from $10,500 and they doubled the car expense allowance to $2,400. Constable Mark Frysak had said much of his salary goes to car expenses, since he furnishes his own. Commissioners agreed that Frysak does a good job, and helped the sheriff’s office greatly during fires and traffic accidents, especially when it was short-handed. However, some question whether a constable is needed as much now that we will have a full-time sheriff and two full-time deputies. Commissioner Michael Hoch said he had checked around and found that Sterling, Reagan and Martin counties have no constables at all, and Upton County has three, who are paid no salaries, only insurance.
Burnett said a constable can handle the civil part of law enforcement, but the constable’s job and the sheriff’s department’s are separate. He said here, the constable is responsible for animal control, but not livestock, and can serve civil papers such as lawsuits, divorce papers, restraining orders, etc. The total budget for the constable’s job is $29,464, including benefits.
The courthouse custodian/water system operator’s salary was raised from $29,400 to $33,000 on the condition that an updated job description be written and adhered to. Bednar was to take care of that matter. Strube said people complain about the look of the courthouse yard. This salary is divided 60/40 between the county and the water system.
Truck drivers on the county road crew were raised from $26,500 to $30,000; maintainer operators and a heavy equipment operator (dozer) were raised from $30,000 to $33,000.
The two county extension agents were given increases of $1,500 each, bringing the FCS Agent to $17,500 and the Ag Agent to $17,000. (Most of the agents’ salaries are paid by the Texas A & M Extension System.) The court declined to allocate $30,000 for the FCS Agent a car. The Extension secretary’s part-time salary was set at $12.50 per hour, and Dierschke said she averages about 22 hours weekly.
Unchanged salaries include a jail administrator (Burnett) at $2,500, two jailers (deputies) at $1,500 each, emergency program director at $6,000, three fire department chiefs at $1,200 each and county entomologist at $2,500 and a stipend for a DPS secretary of $6,000.
Water System Salaries Increase
The Garden City Water System Manager’s (Oscar Trevino) salary was tentatively increased $1,440 to $13,200 Aug. 11 along with those of other county employees. The system’s administrator (Alan Dierschke) got a $1,500 raise to $7,500.
The system’s total income is expected to be $57,250, with budgeted expenses of $65,750, the largest of which are salaries and benefits, electricity ($18,500) and insurance ($8,500).
Records management revenues from fees and interest in the county/district clerk’s office are expected to total $33,500 for the next fiscal year, up from $15,500 the previous year. Expenses are budgeted at $30,000, to take care of replacing badly worn records books, and reducing the content size of other books. Batla told the court she didn’t know how much the needed repairs to record books would cost. Her office has accumulated almost $86,000 in fees over the last several years, which is state-intended for use in these same type projects.