Butler against high-pay increases for officials

WAXAHACHIE – Ellis County Judge Todd Little opened the last Commissioner’s Court agenda item regarding salary increases for public officials in 2025 to be posted for publication with a statement, “We are required to post the public official’s salaries.” 

Little’s Chief of Staff, Ryan Garrett, presented a spreadsheet with the increases and reminded commissioners they were not voting to set the rates, just voting for publication and knowing the commissioners are “comfortable with” to alert people this is what will be voted on in the near future.

The presentation with the salary increases was not part of the additional paperwork for the July 23 commissioners court packet in order for residents to look at the numbers and understand the salary increases.

Garrett presentation to the court included salary increases for not only the commissioners and county judge, but also additional judges, sheriff, tax assessor/collector, county treasurer and more.

As an example of the increases, the commissioner’s currently make a salary of $102,569 – and the new budget is asking for a new salary of $116,686.

For county judge the current salary is $126,131, with the new budget asking for an increase of $144,324.

Garrett said he was using the civilian comparators for these increases with the 2024 salary survey.

Little made sure to explain the salary survey and stated, “That is what we have utilized in these comparisons here.” 

It was also noted counties included in the comparators were Kaufman, Johnson, Tarrant and Parker.

Garret took the average of the counties and made the increase recommendations.

He also pointed out some positions are mandated by law for increases. Those not mandated include the county judge, commissioners, sheriff, tax assessor/collector, county treasurer, county clerk, district clerk, JPs and constables.

Commissioner Pct. 1 Randy Stinson said he wanted to go with the highest options for salary increases and begin there.

Kyle Butler, pct.4, said “awful high” and Little said he would make a note and added, “We have to get the Ellis County Sheriff’s up in order to pay some of his command staff what the salary survey says they are due to be paid.”

Little also explained regarding the Sheriff’s increase, “in my opinion he does the work, he is on call 24 hours a day, there is nobody more important that the Sheriff in Ellis County from a law enforcement standpoint.”

Little asked if everyone was good with the increase numbers as presented, and Butler said, “I am not.”

Little said, “We can start from here on the high side and bring it down from there.”

Stinson was all for the increases and made comments about how he didn’t see how they could make an “educated decision” until they knew what they are doing for the civil workers. 

Butler countered, pointing at Little, “We knew what we were making when we took the job,” and added in question, “to give yourself a 14% to 16%” increase?”

Stinson was still in favor of more salary and said, “The other side to that is we knew what we were making when we ran for office, if you turn over here…” and then added something along the lines of what he would be making if he ran in Dallas County.

Little kept pointing out the salary survey, and Butler wanted to know “were we that far behind?”

Stinson also mentioned how “much thousands I am going to spend to run for that elected office” in another county.

Grayson said he was fine with what was presented, but stayed out of the conversation by Butler and Stinson. 

The item passed for publication 4-1, with Butler voting no to the current increase numbers presented.