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Court sets elected-salaries increase at 1% and approves judicial supplement changes and phased associate-judge raises
Summary
The Commissioners Court adopted a 1% salary increase for elected officials, set the county supplement for district judges to the statutory maximum of $25,000, and approved a phased two‑year raise for criminal and civil associate judges; probate judge associate salaries are statutorily set by probate court.
On Sept. 9 the Travis County Commissioners Court took multiple actions related to elected and judicial compensation.
Elected officials: After a public hearing and internal discussion, court members voted to set elected-official salaries at a 1% increase for FY2026. The motion passed with Judge Andy Brown recording an abstention; the court directed staff to send the statutorily required notice letters to elected officials and to proceed with the administrative steps needed to publish the adopted salaries.
District judges: The court set the county supplement for district judges at the statutory maximum of $25,000. Commissioners discussed that the state base salary for district judges increased to $175,000 under the recent legislative session and noted county reimbursement rules for certain county court-at-law judges. The court’s action was intended to align county supplements with the updated statutory framework.
Associate judges: The court approved a phased approach to raise criminal and civil associate-judge salaries toward a target (90% of a district judge total compensation). For criminal and civil associate judges, the court approved a first-year (FY26) step to move salaries from $150,100 to $165,500, with a planned follow-up step in the next fiscal year to reach the target of about $180,000. Probate associate judges are governed differently by statute and the probate court approved its associate-judge raises in a separate action; the county will budget and fund the change consistent with statute and the court’s funding decisions.
Why this matters: Judicial and elected-salary actions affect county payroll expenses and required statutory notifications. The phased associate-judge approach reduces immediate budget pressure by spreading costs over two years while responding to legislative changes in judicial base pay.
