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Judges urge county to include bailiffs in step‑pay plan after SB 22 funding left them out
Summary
Judges and court staff told commissioners that recent grant and county pay changes have created large pay gaps between courthouse security officers and bailiffs and urged the court to correct the disparity; no formal change was made during the meeting.
Judges and court staff urged Rockwall County Commissioners on Aug. 27 to address a pay disparity that emerged after the county and sheriff implemented a new step plan for courthouse security officers funded in part by Senate Bill 22 grant dollars.
Judge Hall (S18) told commissioners that the sheriff’s office and courthouse security officers moved to a five‑year step plan after the county began receiving SB 22 grant money earlier in the year, while bailiffs were not included in that grant‑funded step plan. "Courthouse security officers are gonna be receiving about $1,415,000 more a year than the bailiffs," Judge Hall said, and asked the court to "include our bailiffs and correct what we think is an oversight from the legislature." Several judges and bailiffs described courtroom safety duties and recent high‑risk incidents to underline the operational argument for pay parity.
The court discussed budget mechanics and differences between step plans and merit buckets. Commissioners asked about salary reviews and broader policy implications: whether changes should be made via job reclassification or a countywide salary survey. No immediate salary regrade or appropriation was approved during the morning session; judges requested that the court consider remedies (including moving bailiffs onto a comparable step plan or other pay adjustments) as part of upcoming budget decisions.
