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Commissioners flag pay parity, sheriff staffing as pressure points in 2027 budget
Summary
Waller County commissioners said rising pay elsewhere and repeated staffing requests—particularly for the sheriff's office and constables—are driving much of the county's new spending requests and could require prioritization if revenue falls short.
Several commissioners and the County Judge said pay parity with neighboring jurisdictions and recruitment/retention in the sheriff's office are central drivers of 2027 budget requests. The County Judge noted that pay increases in nearby cities and counties have created pressure to raise local pay to retain deputies and other staff.
"We added almost 30 employees just to the sheriff's department" in a prior cycle, the judge said, and discussed the county's need to adjust pay to avoid losing deputies to higher-paying jurisdictions. A constable also told the court that civil-process workload (evictions, warrants) has increased and urged commissioners not to overlook constable offices when prioritizing budgets: "We just ask that you just look at that." The constable emphasized that some duties are constitutionally mandated, making staffing shortfalls especially consequential.
Commissioners asked staff to consider pay-parity implications across county agencies when preparing final proposals and to include constables and JP needs in prioritization conversations. No formal pay-rate changes were adopted at the workshop; staff will return with budget scenarios.
