Travis County Commissioners Court Voting Session Agenda Request

Transcription

1 FILED FOR RECORD 8/11/2015 9:00 AM Dana Debeauvoir - County Clerk, Travis County,TX Item 11 Travis County Commissioners Court Voting Session Agenda Request Meeting Date: August 11, 2015 Agenda Language: Consider and take appropriate action regarding FY 2016 salaries for elected officials: A. Proposed elected officials salaries; B. Proposed calendar for setting elected officials salaries; and C. Public hearing on advertised salaries. Prepared By/Phone Number: Victoria Ramirez, Planning and Budget, Elected/Appointed Official or Department Head: Jessica Rio, County Executive, Planning and Budget Commissioners Court Sponsor(s): Commissioner Margaret Gómez Background/Summary of Request and Attachments: Commissioners Court is required by law to set the salaries of elected officials and follow a grievance process. Staff Recommendations: Please see enclosed backup materials. Issues and Opportunities: Please see enclosed backup materials. Fiscal Impact and Source of Funding: The ongoing fiscal impact of a 3.0% increase will be $89,033 including benefits. There will be no fiscal impact if no salary increases are approved. Required Authorizations: Planning and Budget Office County Judge s Office Jessica Rio Joe Hon AGENDA REQUEST & BACKUP MATERIALS DEADLINE: Agenda requests and backup materials must be submitted in PDF format via to agenda@traviscountytx.gov by 12 noon on Tuesday in order to be considered for inclusion in the following week s voting session. Revised

2 PLANNING AND BUDGET OFFICE TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS 700 Lavaca, Suite 1560 Austin, Texas MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: Members of Commissioners Court Victoria Ramirez, Budget Analyst DATE: August 4, 2015 RE: Consider and take appropriate action regarding FY 2016 salaries for elected officials Every year, as required by law, Commissioners Court takes formal action to set the salaries of elected officials for the next fiscal year. To prepare this agenda item, the Planning and Budget Office (PBO) has worked with the County Attorney s Office, the County Auditor s Office, the County Clerk s Office, and Human Resources Management (HRMD) to ensure that all legal requirements are met. There were no increases to elected officials salaries in the FY 2015 Adopted Budget. The most recent increases to elected officials salaries were included in the FY 2014 Adopted Budget, delineated as follows: 1. Increased the County portion of District Judges salaries from $15,000 to the new maximum of $18,000; 2. Increased County Court at Law Judges salaries by $16, to meet the statutorilyrequired salary differential between the salary of a District Judge and that of a County Court at Law Judge; and 3. Increased the salaries for elected officials not subject to the state-mandated salary maximums and differentials by 3.0% to match the 3.0% salary increase for classified employees (with the exception of the County portion of the District Attorney s salary, which was unchanged at her request). The attached draft advertisement lists the proposed salaries for all elected officials in Travis County. The proposed salaries of the District Judges, County Court at Law Judges, and the Probate Judge are not legally required to be included in the advertisement. Travis County has historically included the proposed salaries for all elected officials. A. Proposed elected officials salaries (approval requested) On May 26, 2015, Commissioners Court discussed the results of the 2015 Market Salary Study (MSS) and requested that the Human Resources Management Department (HRMD) later present

3 a few different proposals for implementation. The Court may choose to fully or partially implement the recommendations of the MSS, leading to salary increases for many classified employees. The FY 2016 Preliminary Budget includes $7.8 million in a compensation reserve for Commissioners Court to allocate toward compensation. The reserve includes a one-step increase for employees on the Peace Officer Pay Scale (POPS), as well as funding for the MSS and elected officials salary increases. The costing of the MSS will need to be further refined and options will be presented and discussed with Commissioners Court at a work session on August 27. The Court has often opted to match compensation changes between classified employees and elected officials. Commissioners Court could opt to increase the salaries for elected officials not subject to the state-mandated salary maximums and differentials by 3.0% to match the spirit of a potential increase for classified employees. This increase was calculated by determining the average percentage increase recommended in the MSS for filled, classified positions. This calculation includes all positions that were considered in the MSS, including those for which an increase was not recommended. PBO employed this methodology because, should the Court adopt the recommendations of the MSS, not all classified employees will receive compensation increases. This is an attempt to moderate the recommended increase for elected officials so that it is comparable to the changes recommended for classified employees and is in line with the approved increase during the implementation of the last MSS. The estimated cost of this option is $74,567 plus $14,466 in benefits changes, for a total of $89,033. PBO recommends that the Commissioners Court adopt this option. PBO used employee data from July 11, 2015 in formulating its recommendation, the most recent date for which MSS recommendations were available from HRMD. In light of this, the cost of implementing the MSS for classified employees may vary slightly from the above calculation due to personnel changes occurring between mid-july and late August. However, the difference is unlikely to be significant enough to change our comparable recommendation for elected officials salaries presented today. The enclosed draft advertisement includes a proposal of a 3.0% increase for the elected officials referenced above. As the advertisement states, these salaries are the maximum proposed salaries for each office. An elected official may elect to take a salary lower than the maximum. Today, PBO asks Commissioners Court to authorize advertisement of the proposed salaries of elected officials in the Austin Chronicle. B. Proposed calendar for setting elected officials salaries (no action requested) The Court s vote on the proposed salaries for elected officials on August 11 will trigger statutorily mandated processes that will result in Commissioners Court setting the salaries for elected officials on September 1 and the grievance process ending on September 22. The proposed calendar for setting elected officials salaries is as follows.

4 June 2 August 11 August 20 September 1 September 8 September 22 September 29 Commissioners Court votes on composition of Grievance Committee. Commissioners Court draws names to select the Grievance Committee. Commissioners Court considers and selects salary option for elected officials and votes to approve public hearing and advertisement. Advertisement appears in Austin Chronicle. Commissioners Court holds public hearing on proposed salaries for elected officials. Commissioners Court sets the salaries for elected officials. County Judge s Office provides written notice of salaries to each elected official whose salary is set by the Commissioners Court. Deadline for elected official to file a grievance with the County Judge s Office. Commissioners Court considers & acts on Grievance Committee s decision(s). Commissioners Court votes on adoption of the FY 2016 Budget. C. Public hearing on advertised salaries (approval requested) PBO requests that the Commissioners Court set the public hearing date on the advertised salaries of elected officials for September 1. PBO will ask Commissioners Court to set the salaries of elected officials on September 1 after the public hearing. After the vote, the County Judge s Office must notify elected officials of their FY 2016 salaries. This notice will start the statutorily mandated timeline for filing and considering salary grievances. Enclosures cc: Jessica Rio, County Executive, Planning and Budget Travis Gatlin, Diana Ramirez, Planning and Budget Office Brenda Rodriguez, Denise Bell, Ron Morgan, County Clerk s Office Debbie Maynor, Todd Osburn, HRMD Barbara Wilson, County Attorney s Office Joe Hon, County Judge s Office Bernadette Gutilla, Patti Smith, Auditor s Office Travis County Elected Officials

5 TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS PROPOSED FY 2016 SALARIES This notice of maximum proposed salaries and allowances for Travis County elected officials during Fiscal Year 2016 is pursuant to section of the Texas Local Government Code. A Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2016 salaries and allowances of elected officials will be held on September 1, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in the Travis County Commissioners Courtroom, 700 Lavaca Street, Austin, Texas. This advertisement reflects the budgeted salaries for the elected officials. All elected officials have the right to decline the salaries set for their office. All persons are invited and may participate in the hearing. Commissioners Court will then set the salaries and allowances of elected officials. Elected Official 1 Budgeted FY 2015 Salary Proposed Change Proposed FY 2016 Salary District Judge (State Salary) 2,3 $140, $0 $140, District Judge (County Salary) 3,4 $18, $0 $18, District Judge $158, $0 $158, Court at Law Judge (County Salary) 5 $157, $0 $157, District Attorney (State Salary) 2 $140, $0 $140, District Attorney (County Salary) $35, $1, $36, District Attorney $175, $1, $176, Probate Judge (County Salary) 6 $158, $4, $162, Justice of the Peace $111, $3, $115, County Attorney $164, $4, $169, County Judge 8 $118, $3, $121, County Commissioner 1-4 $98, $2, $101, Constable 1-4 $92, $2, $95, Constable 5 $96, $2, $98, Sheriff $135, $4, $139, District Clerk $119, $3, $123, County Clerk $119, $3, $123, Tax Assessor-Collector $119, $3, $123, County Treasurer $95, $2, $98, Travis County pays for health care coverage for every county employee and elected official. If a county employee or elected official had and continues to have other health coverage and has continuously declined this county coverage since September 30, 2003, that person may receive an additional $ per month. This amount may, at that person's option, be added to their total annual Fiscal Year 2014 salary or placed in an IRS approved flexible spending account for the reimbursement of health care or dependent care expenses. 2. The State Salary is the least state compensation received by any of these officials. If these officials have been employed by the state continuously since August 31, 1995, they also receive $1, as a benefit replacement pay supplement. The Legislature specifically said that this supplement is not salary, but it is included in the total amount received by these

6 officials for purposes of comparing the salaries of other elected officials. The state salary was last increased for these officials in Fiscal Year Effective September 1, 2007, if these officials who have been an active judge and a member of the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One or Two for at least 16 years, they also receive $4, as judicial longevity pay from the state. Effective September 1, 2009, if these officials have been active as a County Court at Law or District Judge for a combined total of at least 16 years but are not eligible for state judicial longevity pay, they receive $4, as judicial longevity pay from the county. 4. Effective October 1, 2010, the District Judge elected as Administrative Judge for Criminal Courts can be and has been compensated $5,000 for the additional administrative duties involved. 5. The County Salary is the least compensation received by any of these officials. If these officials have been an active County Court at Law Judge in Travis County for at least 16 years, a supplement of $4, based on judicial longevity is added to and part of the salary of these officials. 6. In addition to County Salary, Government Code says the Commissioners Court must pay the Probate Judge $4, as judicial longevity because he has been an active Probate Judge in Travis County for at least 16 years. Since January 1, 2015, the Probate Judge has been elected and serving as the Presiding Judge of the Statutory Probate Judges of Texas. For the additional duties as Presiding Judge, he receives $33,000 each year. 7. The County Salary is the least compensation received by any of these officials. An annual supplement of $3, based on judicial longevity is added to and part of the salary of these officials if the official has been an active justice of the peace in Travis County for at least 16 years. For officials who will have been an active justice of the peace in Travis County for at least 16 years effective January 1, 2016, a supplement of $2, based on judicial longevity is added to and part of their salary from January 1, 2016 until the end of the fiscal year. 8. This includes $4,800 paid for service on the Travis County Juvenile Board.