In a special meeting and budget workshop scheduled for August 5, Dickens County officials fine-tuned the proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, debating whether to approve their suggested 10 percent increase in salaries including their own.
In the end, on a motion led by retiring commissioner Charlie Morris, commissioners were unanimous in their consensus that the raise would adjust many years of zero to minimal salary increases for a historically undercompensated staff.
“Right now it’s timely,” said County Judge Kevin Brendle. “We’re going to be raising less money from taxpayers and more from other sources” next year. He added that an increase that steep might not be palatable several years in a row, but right now is the time.”
Morris, whose long tenure on the commission will end December 31, reflected on the varied nature of responsibilities in a rural county that is currently on the verge of an unprecedented windfall from alternative energy industries. While the four commissioners’ own jobs in caring for public roads and making administrative decisions are “no huge challenge,” he suggested, the private work for citizens takes up much more time. Other commissioners agreed that county road crews, and office staff, work very hard and generally at below-average compensation levels.
An analysis of Texas Association of Counties salary data provided by County Attorney Aaron Clements supports these findings; Dickens County salaries trend toward the bottom, among peer counties, in every job category.
Going forward, Morris commented, he expected a 2 to 3 percent annual increase would likely become the norm.
The budget is still under review pending next Monday’s public hearing, to be held before the regular 9 a.m. commissioners court session Aug. 12.
In other matters on the agenda, Spur librarian Donnice Carruth presented the library’s annual report for 2023-24 and thanked donors to the 2024 school supply drive; and Harry Bob Martin and Barbara Brannon gave the report of 2023-24 activities and grant funding for the Dickens County Historical Commission.
Commissioners discussed and approved renewal of the annual CTSI firewall software, an additional license of KoLogik law enforcement software, and renewal of the technology agreement for Visual Edge IT for the county
Bonds were approved at a cost of $50 each for deputy clerk Destynee Vasquez and justice of the peace Stella Carter.
An order of appointment for six election judges and five alternates was approved, with Brendle commenting on how difficult it was to get judges
Commissioners approved the purchase of a 140AWD motor grader for Precinct 3 and a John Deere loader for Precincts 3 and 4, from FY24 funds. Commissioners also approved bids on purchase of a truck for Precinct 1 from FY24 funds.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:18 a.m. Present were County Judge Kevin Brendle and commissioners Greg Arnold, Charlie Morris, Mike Smith and Dennis Wyatt, along with commissioner-elect, Precinct 3, Chris Horn. Other county staff present were Clerk Danay Carnes, Treasurer Brandi Abbott, Tax Assessor-Collector Rebecca Haney and Attorney Aaron Clements.
VIEW PROPOSED
COUNTY BUDGET ONLINE
On the county's website at www.co.dickens. tx.us, choose the Financial Transparency tab and scroll to the downloadl link for the 2024-2025 Proposed Budget. Other years' documents are there for comparison as well. (Note that on mobile devices, the page's two-column format may hide the documents on the right side; scroll over.)
