Hays Sheriff and constables make their budget pitch

Though the county judge’s recommended budget denies it about half of its personnel requests, the Hays County Sheriff’s Department is standing by the recommendations, while county constables are still hoping for substantial pay raises.

At a budget workshop held last Tuesday, the commissioners heard from Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler and all five constables regarding budget requests. Personnel is the largest major expense category in the budget, and within that category, jail operations is the largest expense. The jail had requested $1.4 million in personnel and is receiving just over $666,000. The sheriff’s department had requested $328,000 for personnel and is receiving about $116,000 under the recommended budget.

“We’ve had an opportunity the last couple of weeks to go over the judge’s recommended budget,” Cutler told the commissioners. “I want to tell you today, we thank the court and the judge. We concur with the recommendation. We understand it’s a lean year, and we do our share of work with the commissioners court during a lean year.”

Capt. Mike Davenport made a request to reprioritize some employees.

“Our number one top priority, which he did approve, was the records manager. We really need an evidence tech. We were granted an admin III, and we’d like to swap those.”

Davenport also said that the sheriff’s department would be able to work with the five vehicles approved in the budget, which he said was the lowest number they had ever been approved for.

“We’re going to do our best to make that work,” he said.

Each of the county’s five constable offices also spoke to the commissioners about their budgetary requests including vehicles, equipment such as body cameras, and more personnel. The constables spoke about their duties, which include traffic patrols, civil process duties, serving as bailiffs, escorting funerals and serving warrants. The five constables are also requesting salary increases of about $26,000 each.

“The constables are requesting a salary increase using a market survey that Hays County HR uses, along with the Hays County Law Enforcement Association,” Precinct 4 Constable Hood said.

The market survey Hood showed included constables’ salaries for nine counties: Tarrant, Travis, Collin, Denton, Bexar, Williamson, McLennan, Hays and Comal. The highest salary in that group was $112,113, for constables in Tarrant County (whose county seat is Fort Worth). The lowest salary was $57,817, for constables in Comal County. Hays County constables currently earn $67,761 and are asking for salaries of $93,824, which would put them on par with constables in Bexar and Denton counties.

“That is a large number,” Hood said. “We understand that. But we have to start somewhere.”

Hood added that the constables are not asking for any type of tax increase but are asking the commissioners to find available money in the county budget to fund the salary increase.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant praised the constables in Hays County.

“They do their jobs well, and they work well with the public,” he said.

However, he noted that although their salaries were next to last in the nine-county list, as he understands it, Hays County is next to last in population among those counties.