The Kaufman County Commissioners Court is considering a four percent raise for county employees in the 2917-2018 fiscal year budget.

The court met in a workshop in July 2017 to survey pay scales in all county departments with the objective of increasing many minimum salaries to $32,000 per year. Employees getting that bump would not receive the four percent pay hike unless their increase amounted to less than four percent, in which case they would get the bump plus the across-the-board hike.

Some employees who received larger pay increases last year than the across-the-board raise would get no increase this year, according to the court’s plan.
County Judge Bruce Wood, who recently announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2018, noted some elected officials would be running for re-election next year. They could opt out of the four percent raise by signing an affidavit to that effect, he said.

The court also compared salaries to adjacent counties. The commissioners agreed to raise the salaries of the county clerk, district clerk and county treasurer to the level of the tax assessor-collector at $60,326 before applying the four percent hike to all.

The court will also be considering new pay scales in the departments of the sheriff and district attorney.

The proposed new budget will be posted on the county website, but the court can make changes to it through September.