Bexar County Commissioner this week are expected to determine that they, and the county's other top elected officials, have been doing an awesome job over the past 12 months, and they deserve a pay raise, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
An item buried deep in the agenda for tomorrow's regular Commissioner Court meeting reads simply: "Discussion and direction to staff regarding the proposed salaries and allowances for Elected Officials for FY2019-20. (Estimated Presentation Time: 10 minutes)"
If the past two years are an indication, the Commissioners over that ten minutes will award themselves a pay raise, probably after getting a recommendation from a hand-picked 'Citizens Committee.'
The last two years, Commissioners have awarded themselves seven percent raises each year, four percent in a pay jump, and another three percent in a 'cost of living adjustment.'
Commissioners aren't missing any meals as it is. The four commissioners each make $131,000 a year, plus a $9,000 car allowance. County Judge Nelson Wolff makes do with $171,000 a year.
The median salary in Bexar County is about $49,000 a year. In 2015, San Antonio voters approved a charter amendment setting City Council pay at $45,000 a year, with the mayor getting $61,000.
Bexar County is actually getting its Commissioners Court at a bargain price. Dallas County pays its commissioners $159,000. Harris County pays its County Commissioners $167,000. But in Travis County, commissioners are paid $119,000