Rockwall County commissioners review pay scales, consider range shifts ahead of budget

Rockwall County Commissioners Court members met for a workshop July 8 at the Historic Courthouse to review county pay scales and preliminary options for the upcoming budget.

Commissioner Stacy led the session, saying the intent was to present data, options and trade-offs before the county's budget process begins: "My goal is to have a really good discussion about pay, within the county," Stacy said. The court reviewed turnover dating back to Oct. 1, 2021, detailed department pay-grade requests and multiple scenarios for adjusting ranges and top-outs.

The discussion focused on three distinct pay structures the court must consider: (1) a five-step sheriff's office step plan adopted after Senate Bill 22 was enacted; (2) a law-enforcement pay scale covering deputies, detention officers and related positions; and (3) non-law-enforcement clerk scales used by county departments. "We have 3 things that we have going on," Stacy said, urging the court to treat them separately when weighing budget choices.

Why it matters: Commissioners warned that whatever approach the court adopts will affect the county budget and employee retention. Staff presented several figures the court used for illustration: the…