County clerk says salary tiers were applied unfairly; files formal grievance

Lila Deagle, Parker County's county clerk, told the salary grievance committee that her written grievance is "about fairness," saying the commissioners court altered the county's tiered pay policy in a way that advantaged a single office.

Deagle said the court's motion at the Aug. 25 budget meeting shifted one office into the top tier even though that office did not meet the 10‑year threshold the motion described. "So ladies and gentlemen, this is my grievance," Deagle said, presenting a chart she said showed how years in office for several elected officials compared to the pay tiers proposed by Commissioner Walden.

Deagle told the committee she was not challenging the sheriff personally and said her complaint was a process concern: she asked that the same longevity criteria be applied to all elected officials. The county judge and other committee members asked questions about the prior commissioners court motion and sought numerical clarification about how the motion would affect pay levels.

The committee heard details of the motion made in court the day before, which the committee record shows was made by Commissioner Walden and carried by a 4–1 vote during the Aug. 25 meeting. Deagle said that the uneven application of the tiering left her in a lower tier despite comparable or greater total county service.

The committee did not make a finding on the grievance during Deagle's presentation; the hearing proceeded to procedural questions and then to a committee vote on a recommendation to the commissioners court.