The Travis County Commissioners Court on Aug. 5 voted unanimously to publish the legally required advertisement listing a 3% maximum salary change for elected officials for fiscal year 2026, a procedural step that allows a public hearing and later final action on elected officials' salaries.

Paul Hopengardner, County Executive for Technology and Operations, and Stacy McClure, assistant director of HR, explained the advertisement must be published before a statutory deadline and that the percentage listed is the maximum the court may approve later — not a commitment. McClure presented options of 1%, 2%, 3% or 4% maximums; the court chose the 3% option by motion of Judge Andy Brown.

Staff and several court members stressed the county’s compensation reserve has declined from prior years (FY2024: $33.0 million; FY2025: $30.3 million; FY2026 projection: $23.4 million), and that final decisions will depend on the ongoing market-salary-study (MSS) results, budget tradeoffs and available funds. McClure and others emphasized the advertised maximum preserves flexibility while acknowledging funds for a large across-the-board increase may not exist.

Jessica Rio of Planning and Budget and other staff reiterated that the advertisement triggers a public hearing (scheduled for Aug. 26) and that the court will set final salaries at a later vote. The court approved the 3% advertisement with an instruction to correct minor typographical errors before publishing.

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Court members said the advertisement preserves option flexibility while noting that final salary decisions will be driven by available revenue, MSS findings and other budget priorities. A public hearing and vote on final salaries are scheduled for Aug. 26.