District attorney seeks raises and staff to curb turnover; commissioners hear six-figure costs

District Attorney Mark told the Nueces County Commissioners Court on June 22 that his office has experienced high turnover, losing prosecutors to neighboring counties that offer substantially higher starting pay. He asked the court to consider pay-group increases (a three-step, ~15% scenario for many positions), two additional secretaries for discovery and appeals, investigator pay adjustments, and a replacement investigator vehicle.

Mark said starting misdemeanor salaries in his office were about $49,000 and recommended raising starting pay to roughly $56,000–$62,000 depending on duty; he said comparable offices start at higher levels: "In Sinton ... the starting salary for a felony prosecutor ... is 70,000," he said, and listed several examples of prosecutors leaving for raises of $9,000–$15,000 elsewhere.

Auditors and staff provided ballpark cost estimates during the meeting: a 15% across-the-board lift for selected prosecutorial positions was estimated at about $450,000; when combined with other staffing requests and benefits, commissioners were told the office’s full request could approach $650,000–$700,000.

Several judges and commissioners urged the court to weigh retention needs against county budget constraints and requested detailed, line-item cost estimates and phased alternatives. "We appreciate your situation," the presiding judge said; commissioners asked staff to return with a financial analysis and options to implement increases over time.

No final action was taken; the item will be considered with other compensation proposals as part of ongoing budget deliberations.