[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6533334,"mediaKeyId","3789175-24f48287400446ef66260e93472873df","parentId",3789175,"title","County treasurer seeks modest budget increases and flags payroll/timekeeping technology limits","audioSeconds",643,"startMs",4510000,"endMs",5153000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3789175-24f48287400446ef66260e93472873df&start=4510&end=5153","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3789175-24f48287400446ef66260e93472873df/thumbnail_4510000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6533334/Rockwall-County/Texas/County-treasurer-seeks-modest-budget-increases-and-flags-payrolltimekeeping-technology-limits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533334-e181b39f7ed5087671d679e42f8ef812/orig.mp4?Expires=1770801681&Signature=MzV70tF2d3GGlgdrIMEsxAnavQuLhUQ8dmKfc0dOT704VEWT5bz4x15q0RFHeM7nnFf5Qq0bWw-QHT5ldwgTiIcxtxl1GbPQvQTAGJW3Q95RBqVC9D2BU24fTZDpu7sQsZRd~FPWGXGW639ur-N57Qdl0eTAqgRUhzKjCVA6~owIwtdMiqOoqI1shxw7MS3XgrpEy5AKK7RyHf1~uKbIlcTioo-gGzDE3Rkl~4fwB3yReGL7fuVrQTUJHL77DCCdRGmr~qvSdBIepl1jFTDczKprmiHrhbnmo-OBD2sOwtq2s-~Nd-p4f8jsBTMO-p7hyYIHHaX7SHhfZbOH2nmmrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rockwall County Texas","date","2025-06-12T00:00:00Z","article","David Peake, Rockwall County treasurer, told the Commissioners Court on June 12 that his office’s FY2026 request is focused on two modest operating increases and targeted personnel adjustments while attempting to minimize capital outlays.

Peake said his office did not include $3,000 in IT‑recommended laptop replacements because the department found its current laptops serviceable; instead he requested about $2,500 more than the current budget for postage and office supplies. “If you look at my budget sheet…the only 2 items under the stuff category that are increasing is the office supply line and the postage expense,” Peake said.

On personnel, Peake requested a 10% increase for his chief deputy and for the payroll coordinator and a 3%–4% increase to bring two senior clerks to the top of their existing grade ranges. He described his staff as highly experienced — the least‑experienced member has roughly 15 years of relevant finance or accounting experience, and the average relevant experience is about 24 years — and said the requested increases would total roughly $15,000–$20,000 loaded. “I owe so much to my staff,” Peake said. “I have an incredibly experienced staff…they assist me in safeguarding about $120,000,000 of taxpayer funds.”

The treasurer also described technical constraints that affect payroll processing. Rockwall County currently uses NetData financial software and a largely paper‑based time sheet process for staff across departments. Peake said payroll vendors such as ADP have reached out in the past but do not integrate cleanly with the county’s NetData system or handle all of Rockwall’s pay codes and local pay practices without substantial customization. That mismatch, Peake said, has been a recurring barrier to automating time submission across departments.

Commissioners pressed the office on whether technology investment could reduce workload or head count pressure. Peake said the county is “somewhat constrained” by NetData and county personnel policies that treat signed time sheets as the official payroll record, but he said he and staff are open to efficiency improvements. The treasurer’s office confirmed that hardware items such as laptops are eligible to be funded from the county’s Fund 56 (technology fund).

Peake’s presentation prompted a discussion among commissioners about whether to pursue electronic timekeeping and payroll portals countywide to reduce manual paper routing. Commissioners asked staff to explore options and to weigh the tradeoffs: potential efficiency gains versus the cost and the need to keep legally required record formats for auditing and disciplinary uses.

Why this matters: Peake’s personnel proposal and the county’s technology choices affect payroll costs, administrative workload and the county’s ability to scale services without expanding headcount. Commissioners will consider the treasurer’s requests alongside other departmental asks during the FY2026 budget process.

What’s next: The Treasurer’s Office will continue to meet with IT and auditor staff on Fund 56 eligibility for devices and to explore secure options for digitizing time submission; no formal action was taken June 12.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rockwall County Texas - Commissioners Court Workshop Meeting - Jun 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Treasurer David Peake asked commissioners on June 12 for small increases in office supplies and postage and proposed pay adjustments for senior staff; he also described limits in the county’s payroll systems and the challenges of replacing paper time sheets while preserving required records.","taxTitle","Rockwall County, Texas","taxId",54914,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6533339,"Rockwall commissioners agree to review county pay scales after justices raise concern about top-out compression",1377,43000,1420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3789175-24f48287400446ef66260e93472873df&start=43&end=1420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3789175-24f48287400446ef66260e93472873df/thumbnail_43000.jpg","/articles/6533339/Rockwall-County/Texas/Rockwall-commissioners-agree-to-review-county-pay-scales-after-justices-raise-concern-about-top-out-compression","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533339-cd95a7a1f96581bc9faf7251e5488ebe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770801681&Signature=OyAcMEQLTGdRtn9HUDSOOVUFDKJMveLrmsdzrkGNUzkuOyDCScfYU~BbvVt~suahAYH0~V7-ZQSxJ3N1YKFebqdDSkw4GIUo81X2v1N3AjO7CDZUokHGwj0uEgu36JLczUCet~BoxQT5N9Dmy2C0YvSQ7tEmjB8ocqGwDx3ouDU--DlkphV30K~~ueru9UAgggldWZlQS71DL~kkWJK77vIY4yODAQZ2KsDiz8jAACOXoAhADFj0ZatnQzQxNBNURKoTr4bq9Wd920LoalR6GT2RZRuDEdDJSBVcLPivvhSGlt2yGsjYWt9G2EJkulNu0Qaq8y2~a8UoGMirlaNUEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Justice Tony Norton, justice of the peace for Precinct 1, told the Rockwall County Commissioners Court at a June 12 budget workshop that noncommissioned salary ranges used across the county are compressed at the top and asked the court to adjust the salary scale to reflect recent inflation rather than to grant individual across‑the‑board raises.

Norton said the county’s current pay scale has not been adjusted since an overhaul in 2022 and cited what he described as a 9.8% increase in the U.S. average inflation rate since Oct. 1, 2022. “I’m asking the court to consider looking at that scale and adjusting it accordingly to the current inflation rate that we currently have,” Norton said. He added, “I’m not asking for the raise for employees. I’m just asking for something to where they have some growth, in their salary ranges.”

The request grew out of repeated reclassification requests that county department heads brought during last year’s budget cycle, Norton said, and from specific concerns that some clerks in local justice courts are reaching the top of their pay ranges. Norton told the court he filed a formal reclassification for his clerks but said that an adjustment to the county salary ranges would remove the need to reclassify positions in many cases.

County officials and other elected judges who spoke during the workshop generally agreed the county should review its job grade ranges periodically. The court asked County Auditor Cammie to prepare a presentation on job ranges, historic context and county comparisons before the next round of budget deliberations in July so commissioners could choose consistent peer counties for benchmarking and evaluate total compensation (salary plus benefits). The auditor also was asked to include suggestions about whether only top ranges should be updated or whether bottoms of ranges should be adjusted as well.

Commissioners and judges discussed tradeoffs between adjusting ranges, providing flat percentage raises and targeted reclassifications. Several participants noted the court previously approved substantial increases in recent years; Norton and others said those raises helped employees keep up with rapid inflation at the time, but they argued the underlying range ceilings still create compression that pushes longer‑tenured employees to a pay cap with no step‑wise growth available.

The court directed staff to return in July with comparative data and a recommended approach; no formal pay changes were adopted at the June 12 meeting. The auditor and human resources will use the July presentation to outline options and, if directed by the court later, to implement either range reindexing or position reclassifications before adoption of the FY2026 budget.

Why this matters: compressed pay ranges can leave long‑service employees with no routine salary progression, which judges and department heads said can hinder retention. Commissioners said they want benchmark comparisons and total‑compensation figures (salary plus retirement and benefits) before taking action.

What’s next: Auditor Cammie will prepare a July briefing on job ranges and peer comparisons; the court will decide whether to adjust ranges countywide, approve targeted reclassifications, or use a budgeted “raise bucket” during the FY2026 process.","Justice of the Peace Tony Norton told the Rockwall County Commissioners Court on June 12 that county non‑commissioned salary ranges are compressed at the top and should be adjusted to reflect inflation; commissioners directed the county auditor to prepare job‑range comparisons and a recommendation before July.","actionData","errors"]

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County treasurer seeks modest budget increases and flags payroll/timekeeping technology limits

Rockwall commissioners agree to review county pay scales after justices raise concern about top-out compression