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Wilson County JPs ask commissioners for clerk pay parity, JP salary increases and part‑time staff
Summary
Several justices of the peace asked the commissioners to reclassify and equalize clerk pay, raise JP salaries to match other elected officials, and fund part‑time clerks to reduce backlogs; commissioners asked staff for historical revenue data and agreed to review the requests against county reserves and projected revenues.
Monica Gutierrez, Wilson County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4, asked commissioners to adjust two salary line items and fund additional part‑time help for JP offices.
"My name is Monica Gutierrez. I'm with the Wilson County JP 4. I'm here today to ask for your consideration in adjusting two line items under salary in my office," Gutierrez said. She requested that her head clerk, Kelsey Barreto, be paid the same as Elizabeth Rodriguez by reclassifying both clerks as chief deputy clerks and eliminating the separate second‑clerk title that she said does not reflect equal duties. She also asked that the justice of the peace salary be adjusted to match other elected officials, arguing that JPs work full time and are on call for magistration, inquests and emergency warrants.
Gutierrez and other judges also asked for dedicated part‑time positions to allow clerks to complete mandated certification training and to prevent case backlogs. Gutierrez estimated the cost of a permanent part‑time position at under $20,000 and said a floater clerk could cover multiple JP offices when workloads vary.
County staff supplied historical revenue figures for JP‑related fines and fees in the general fund: 2020 $43,295; 2021 $38,004.10; 2022 $24,006.43; last year $13,514; and current year‑to‑date approximately $5,900. Commissioners and JPs discussed several reasons for the decline, including changes to the DPS citation system, reduced ticketing and higher indigency in parts of the county. JP4 said that its own projected revenue rose to roughly $29,000 in the current budget, even as other precincts reported declines.
Commissioners noted statutory constraints on courthouse security funds (fund 2,600), which must be used for courthouse security salaries and currently collect about $30,000 a year — far less than the $200,000+ in salaries budgeted to that fund; general‑fund transfers presently cover the shortfall. Judges and commissioners explored whether personnel coding and payroll processes could be adjusted to allow flexible courthouse staffing under the sheriff’s oversight, but county staff said payroll and fund coding require budget amendments for such moves.
Commissioners expressed willingness to look at pay adjustments, with one commissioner favoring per‑hour increases to get money quickly into lower‑paid employees’ hands rather than percentage raises that more heavily benefit top earners. No formal pay decisions were made; commissioners asked staff to review revenue and reserve projections and to return with recommendations.
The court did not take a formal vote on the JP or clerk pay requests; commissioners said they will consider the proposals in the context of the county budget and revenue forecasts.
