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Clerks’ pay and constable compensation draw scrutiny during Waller County budget workshop
Summary
Precinct judges and commissioners raised concerns about pay disparities across precinct clerks and constable staffing/pay, asking staff for a payroll comparison and promising follow‑up before the budget vote.
Several elected precinct officials raised concerns at the Waller County budget workshop about inconsistent pay practices for justices of the peace clerks and constable offices.
A precinct judge told the court he has clerks with decades of experience who do not earn as much as newly hired clerks in other precincts. “I have a clerk with 32 years of experience that is not gonna make what two brand new clerks are making in another precinct,” the judge said, calling for parity. He requested that the payroll and salary lines be reviewed and that the county provide a printout breaking out staff salaries by precinct so commissioners can resolve disparities.
Commissioners acknowledged the county previously performed a salary study and instituted job classifications, but the judge and other officials said the study’s outcomes are not being applied consistently across precinct offices. One county official asked for several days to pull records; court staff agreed to review the lists and return with a factual accounting ahead of the time the court sets the proposed budget.
Separately, the court discussed constable compensation and part‑time staffing. The budget includes a $6,000 certification pay increase for each constable’s office and a higher part‑time pay budget (raising part‑time lines to about $50,000 in some precincts). The court mentioned a state law mandate related to constable staffing but did not detail statutory language.
Ending: County staff agreed to provide detailed salary breakdowns and payroll comparisons to the court for review; commissioners asked staff to return with facts within a few days so any corrective steps can be considered before the proposed budget is set.
