Salary panel recommends $50,000 base for three Harrison County constables

A Harrison County salary grievance committee voted to recommend a $50,000 base salary for Constables Precincts 1, 3 and 4 after a public hearing where constables described heavy caseloads, repeated service attempts and safety risks.

County Judge Chad Sims opened the hearing and explained the statutory grievance process, noting the committee received timely letters from three constables asking the panel to review their proposed pay. At the vote the panel moved to set the base at $50,000 for the three filing constables; the chair said the result would be put in writing and forwarded to the commissioners' court. Judge Sims said, "If nine of you agree on any number ... you got to do it." The committee recorded a unanimous recommendation.

Constables argued they face duties and risks similar to other elected law-enforcement officials and cited their current and proposed base pay in the county budget. One witness said, "I'm just asking for fair," summarizing the plea that prompted the grievance. The committee's unanimous recommendation does not itself change county pay; it creates a written recommendation the commissioners' court may adopt or modify when it finalizes the budget.

The committee's action will be documented and forwarded to the commissioners' court for consideration in the next meeting, as required by statute.