Sheriff asks county for 8% pay increase to shore up jail and patrol staffing

Sheriff Sydney told the Victoria County Commissioners Court that his top budget priority is addressing personnel pay and said he is requesting an 8% salary increase for law enforcement and detention staff to remain competitive with nearby employers. “Our goal this year would be to address salary situations,” he said, adding the increase would help the county “hold our ground and be competitive.”

The sheriff said the county jail is “pretty unique” in size and workload and that the office is short ‘‘probably 25’’ detention staff; the facility is currently trending “400 plus inmates.” He described routine staff losses to neighboring counties — “Last week alone, I lost 2 jailers that had been there over well over a year to Lavaca County” — and said turnover is driven partly by workload and partly by pay differentials. “8% is a lot. That's a big ask. But if I didn't think… that's what it takes,” he said.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said salaries are a central budget pressure.…