Commissioners update personnel policy to set sheriff’s office step increases effective Oct. 1

The Midland County Commissioners Court voted April 7 to revise personnel policy 5.08, changing how step increases for sheriff’s office employees are described and setting the revision to take effect Oct. 1.

Commissioner (speaker 4) explained the change would align the sheriff’s office step structure with ‘sister agencies’ and remove a hardcoded 2% line in the policy so steps can operate as intended. “If we tweak that policy, they will get that raise,” the commissioner said, noting the revision is meant to improve retention.

Other commissioners questioned parity across public safety jobs. One commissioner said the county has a 20‑step scale for many employees while the sheriff’s scale had 10 steps; they warned the mismatch could treat law‑enforcement personnel differently. “We’re treating one law enforcement officer different from another,” the commissioner said.

The judge said the change is procedural in setting the October 1 effective date and that the final budget decision remains in the court’s October budget hearings. Several members urged waiting until budget hearings for concrete dollar decisions, while the judge said he intended to include the change in his budget proposal.

The court passed the motion to update policy 5.08 (motion carried by voice vote; one recorded nay by Commissioner (speaker 4)). The action updates the policy language and sets the change to be effective Oct. 1, 2026; the court clarified the actual pay amounts and any cost‑of‑living increases will be decided during the regular budget process.

Next steps: the policy amendment will be reflected in personnel documents and the financial impact will be considered in the October budget hearings.