Court pauses on full market rollout; approves police and EMS pay moves and directs 60‑day review of compensation plan

Travis County's human resources and budget staff asked the Commissioners Court on Sept. 3 for additional time to re‑examine a recent market study and to complete a comprehensive compensation plan that addresses market adjustments, internal equity and pay‑scale structure.

HR and county executives requested a 60‑day timeline, weekly progress briefings to the court and a work group of county executives to finalize recommendations before the court allocates ongoing funds. HR Assistant Director Stacy McClure told the court the county had received market data from peer cities and counties but that the methodology and application required additional review to ensure accurate interpretation and internal equity adjustments.

Court members approved several targeted actions during the meeting: - The court had previously approved EMS Starflight pay changes (action taken prior to Sept. 3). Staff confirmed funding will be held in reserve and transferred later for implementation. - The court approved three corrections and public safety items: a POPS (peace officer/pay scale) market adjustment, a one‑step POPS anniversary increase, and a law enforcement equity adjustment. County staff said those POPS moves were intended to reduce mandated overtime and staffing strain in the county jail and public safety operations. The court approved these POPS items unanimously. - The court directed staff to hold the remainder of ongoing markup funds in an earmark ("markup ongoing balance") while HR completes the compensation review. That earmark amounted to $881,669 and was moved into the allocated reserve so the court could decide later on the final use.

Commissioner Trevillion said he was not confident the market study methodology would be resolved in 60 days and expressed concern about continuing to delay decisions. Other commissioners said they were willing to give HR a fixed timeline but wanted regular check‑ins and access to the underlying data. The court voted 4–1 to direct staff to proceed with the review process and to make all approved increases effective Oct. 1 or soon after; Commissioner Trevillion voted no on that motion.

Staff committed to weekly updates to the court, improved employee communications during the review, and a return to the court with recommended allocations (including companion one‑time costs for any multi‑year implementation). The court also left some funds reserved for additional items such as bilingual pay, purchasing office decisions and auditor-related adjustments.

Why it matters: Compensation decisions affect recruiting and retention for public safety and county operations. County leaders said targeted POPS/EMS moves are intended to reduce overtime costs and staffing gaps while HR finalizes a broader compensation plan.