Presidio County commissioners met Wednesday to continue work on the county budget, but since Commissioner Obed Escontrias could not make the meeting, they decided to wait until next Wednesday’s meeting to get into the nitty-gritty of each budget line item.
Key considerations will be how much to budget for courthouse repairs, substantial road and bridge increases requested by Escontrias for new equipment, and whether to hire an elections administrator. The tax assessor and county clerk currently administer elections, but it’s a workload that is excessive, particularly dealing with changing laws, said Commissioner Deirdre Hisler, who is advocating for the position.
Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez has also filed a grievance on his salary — which will be heard by the Presidio Grand Jury, date still undetermined. Dominguez’s salary is partially funded by SB 22, a state law that supplements positions like sheriffs, constables, county judges and county attorneys. The goal of SB 22 was to ensure sheriffs make at least $75,000 a year.
Last year, Dominguez made $54,746 through county funds and $25,253 from the state for a total of $79,999. Dominguez is set for a $10,000 bump in state funds for a total of $89,999, but he has requested that $4,000 in that increase come from county funds. Dominguez responded after this story was first published to say that the proposal is to give the justice of the peaces, the county/district clerk, the treasurer and the tax assessor/collector $4,000 raises from county funds, but he wasn’t included. Even though the sheriff was eligible for the the $10,000 state raises, it would be better for the sheriff position in the future to be on par with other elected officials in county funds, he said.
Dominguez, who was paid slightly more than those officials, would now be paid slightly less when just looking at county funds. “Grant funded supplements such as SB 22 should not have the unintended effect of leaving the underylying county-funded salary for the office below that of comparable elected officials,” he wrote in a letter asking for the grievance.
Under the current proposals, commissioners would also get a $5,000 raise from $24,353 to $29,253. However, there is also a proposal to make the Precinct 3 commissioner, currently Escontrias, manage the Road and Bridge Department program with a stipend of an additional $30,000.
The Commissioners Court will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 19, at 10 a.m. at the Presidio County Annex in Presidio, 300 E. O’Reilly Street.
This story was updated with comments from Sheriff Danny Dominguez on August 15 at 4 p.m.
