Erath County commissioners weigh pay increases, certification pay and 9-1-1 staffing during budget workshop

Erath County Commissioners Court held a budget workshop July 28 to gather input from department heads and elected officials on payroll options for the county’s upcoming fiscal year. Commissioners asked staff to prepare multiple scenarios for consideration, including percentage increases and flat-dollar raises, and to present figures at a follow-up meeting on Aug. 11.

Members of the court discussed three broad approaches: tiered percentage increases (examples discussed included 2 percent, 3 percent and 5 percent), a flat-dollar across-the-board increase, or targeted adjustments for specific departments. One commissioner argued a flat-dollar raise would reduce pay compression because percentage increases benefit higher-paid employees more. County staff agreed to prepare cost estimates for several scenarios and asked department heads to submit written requests or numbers as soon as possible so options can be modeled.

The court also discussed targeted "certification pay" for emergency medical services. County staff said several paramedics have recently obtained advanced certifications, including critical-care training, and proposed a certification stipend or premium for those providers because of the higher level of care they provide. Commissioners discussed a similar certification pay program implemented previously for law enforcement and asked staff to include a comparable analysis for EMS in the budget options.

Department heads raised pay concerns for certain positions. One land-development official asked the court to consider a significant adjustment to reflect increased responsibilities and legal work that position requires; the official said peer counties pay substantially more. County staff noted Tarleton and the locally affiliated city are planning raises that may affect local competitiveness.

On next steps, county staff requested department heads provide their pay proposals promptly so Kent (county staff) and the county judge can integrate the options into a proposed budget to be published on Aug. 15. The court plans a thorough review at an Aug. 11 meeting and follow-on budget hearings before final adoption.

The discussion produced direction to staff (not a final decision) to model multiple payroll scenarios, evaluate certification pay for EMS, and return with detailed numbers for commissioners to consider.