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Court tentatively funds law-enforcement step-pay increase and FTO pay; constable adjustments included
Summary
After months of review, county HR presented step-pay options for the sheriff’s office. The court tentatively included a 4.72% adjustment to the sheriff’s step structure, approximately $50,000 for a field-training-officer (FTO) supplement, and additional adjustments for constable pay in the proposed FY2026 budget.
McLennan County’s human-resources office returned July 29 with options to adjust the sheriff’s step-pay structure and related law-enforcement pay scales. HR said the court had earlier set aside roughly $1.7 million to address step-pay needs; HR presented scenarios that applied a flat percentage increase across step levels and explained how any change would also affect constable pay and elected constable salaries.
After discussion, commissioners directed staff to include a 4.72% adjustment to the sheriff’s step-pay structure and to include funding for an FTO/JTO pay supplement (HUB/HR presentations and the sheriff’s office discussed a $34k–$50k range; the court allocated $50,000 in the proposed budget scenario) . HR also presented the cost of making proportional adjustments to constable deputy and elected-constable pay; staff incorporated approximately $92,000 (rounded figures discussed in the meeting) in constable-related adjustments into the proposed budget scenario.
Why it matters: County HR and sheriff’s office witnesses said the step increase would narrow a gap between existing pay and market averages identified in the county’s compensation study, and the FTO pay aims to compensate officers who provide on-the-job training for recruits and newly promoted staff. HR cautioned that changing the law-enforcement structure could prompt requests from other offices with similar positions and that any policy to raise pay for incumbents based on experience would need systemwide review.
What the court decided: Commissioners agreed to the middle-ground package at the July 29 meeting and asked HR and the auditor’s office to reflect the changes in the proposed FY2026 budget. Court members also asked for a review of the compensation survey and the method for applying experience-based increases to avoid unintended, countywide reclassification costs.
Speakers and sourcing: HR presented numerical scenarios; sheriff’s office representatives described the operational value of FTO pay and training modernization. Commissioners discussed budget trade-offs and asked staff to return with implementation details in advance of final adoption.
