Proposed Salaries Set For Elected Officials

Salaries for Van Zandt County’s elected officials will go through a public hearing and formal vote on Aug. 12

Tuesday, the county commissioners looked at the proposed 2008-2009 salary and expense figures distributed by county auditor John Shinn.

Among those numbers, each of the precinct commissioners has a proposed pay increase of $4,050, taking their salaries from $39,050 to $43,100.

That same proposed increase of $4,050 has been added to the salaries for county clerk, tax assessor/collector, county treasurer and district clerk.

The county judge’s office was given a proposed $5,000 salary increase.

Each of the four justices of the peace will see raises of $3,374.59 under the proposal, bringing their salaries to $37,041 each. The sheriff’s office has a proposed $5,000 raise from $43,000 to $48,000 per year.

As discussed in a previous budget workshop, the court is considering a $1,887 salary increase for the constable office in Precincts 1, 3 and 4. That would bring salaries in those offices even with the current Constable Precinct 2 salary — that would not be increased — of $32,181.

The full table of proposed elected officials’ salaries and expense funding can be found inside this issue.

During Tuesday’s budget workshop, the commissioners also discussed current salary structures for road and bridge department employees and supervisors.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. said he felt that under the current "step" system of salary increases, supervisor salaries were too close to those of other department employees.

All of the commissioners agreed the positions and responsibilities carried out differed from precinct to precinct. By the end of the discussion, Van Zandt County Judge Rhita Koches suggested a change she termed "equal to a step and a half" for department supervisors.

The change would create a separation in salary of about $1,200 per year between supervisors and other department employees. Melton indicated that amount seemed a fairer level to those with the additional responsibilities.