LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 6, 2003

TO:
Honorable Glenn Lewis, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2303 by Keel (Relating to conditions of employment for a peace officer or a detention officer employed by certain sheriff's departments.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Local Government Code to authorize certain counties to meet and confer with a bargaining committee to consider conditions of employment for peace officers and detention officers employed by the sheriff's department. Provisions of the bill would establish the procedures and minimum requirements of the meet and confer process. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003.

A county that choses to recognize a bargaining committee and participate in the meet and confer process would incur costs for staff time or legal representation in the process. Additionally, depending on the outcome of the process, a county could incur the cost of higher salaries and benefits for the peace officers and detention officers of the sheriff's department. In Denton County, there are nearly 400 employees to whom the provisions of the bill would apply. Based on an assumption of a $100 per month pay increase for each of the applicable employees as a result of the meet and confer process, the county auditor's office indicates an annual cost increase of $570,000 for the county. Denton County, with a population of 432,976 (2000 census), has an overall annual budget of $115 million.


Local Government Impact

The meet and confer process, while creating additional costs for the county, would not likely have a significant fiscal impact in and of itself. Depending on the outcome of meet and confer, a county would incur an annual increase in costs of salaries and benefits for officers within the sheriff's department. The increase would vary by county, however, and depend on the number of affected employees and the amounts agreed upon.


Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
JK, DLBa