County budget official proposes 4% COLA; department heads broadly urge approval, flag Oracle/step‑chart limits on merit pay

Brazos County — At a July 15 Brazos County Commissioners Court budget workshop, county budget director Nina Payne proposed a 4% cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) for FY2026 and recommended postponing a merit policy change until the county can implement a reliable one‑time or person‑based payout option.

Payne framed the proposal as a personnel investment: “Our county's greatest strength isn't its roads, buildings, or equipment. It's the people who serve here every day,” she said, urging the court to “stay with your employees by proposing this adjustment.” Payne told the court the 4% COLA would increase the FY2026 budget by about $3,300,000 and said the proposed COLA would not raise salaries to the local living‑wage level but would move them closer.

Why it matters: County employees repeatedly told the court that rising housing, food and insurance costs have strained household budgets and contributed to turnover. Personnel costs are a leading driver of county service delivery, so changes to pay affect recruitment, retention and service continuity.

Key facts presented and discussed

- Proposal and budget impact: Payne proposed a 4% across‑the‑board COLA for all county employees and estimated the budgetary effect at about $3,300,000. She also recommended not implementing a merit program in FY2026 while staff work on system changes. - Living‑wage context: Payne cited an MIT living‑wage calculation and said Brazos County’s lowest budgeted wage ($17.98/hour as presented) remained below the calculated living wage for the county (she cited $20.27/hour for Brazos County in the MIT‑based sheet used in the packet). - Department heads’ input: Multiple department heads and elected officials —…