Court approves advertisement of proposed elected‑official salaries, tying them to employee recommendations

County HR recommended the court approve an advertisement showing the proposed maximum salaries for elected officials for FY2027; the ad must be published before the court may set final salaries.

Susan Walvis told the court that the exhibit reflects maximum proposed salaries for each elected office and that historically the court has tied elected‑official increases to employee compensation recommendations. The advertisement will be published in the Austin Chronicle on Aug. 14; a public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 25, with a final vote on Sept. 1. Commissioner Howard moved approval and Commissioner Shea seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Walvis noted the advertised figures are the maximums and that the court may set lower final salaries after hearing public comment and reviewing the budget. The estimated total cost for a maximum 3% increase across elected officials was presented as $132,580.