| TO: | Honorable David Dewhurst , Lieutenant Governor, Senate Honorable Tom Craddick, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1303 by Madla (Relating to certain employment matters affecting a county auditor, assistant auditor, or court reporter. ), Conference Committee Report |
The bill would authorize a county with a population of more than 7,500 that is located on the Texas–
Mexico border and that contains no incorporated territory of a municipality to classify all positions in
its sheriff's department and to act on a petition by the voters to increase the minimum salary of each member of the sheriff's department. Also, if the sheriff's department provides longevity pay, the department would be required to provide that additional pay to each of the commissioned deputies. This portion of the bill would affect Zapata County. The highest amount of longevity pay per commissioned officer would be $1,500 annually ($5 x 25 years service x 12 months per year).
The bill would also change the timeframe in which notice is required to be posted regarding a hearing for setting the salary for the county auditor, assistant county auditor, and court reporters in a county.
Provisions of the bill would authorize a county auditor's salary in certain counties to exceed the current limits on a county auditor's salary if the compensation and allowances are approved by the county commissioners court of the county. In a county also governed by Subsection (b) of Section 152.032, Local Government Code, the limits in Subsection (b) would apply.
The bill would take effect July 1, 2003 if it receives a two-thirds vote in each house; otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2003.
Current statute limits the county auditor's salary to an amount not to exceed the salary and allowances of the highest paid elected county officer in the county, other than a judge of a statutory court, whose salary and allowances are set by the commissioners court. The proposed change in statute would apply to counties with a population of 500,000 or more. For a county also governed by Subsection (b), the county auditor's compensation may not exceed that of the county budget officer.
Changing the period in which notice of a hearing would be required to be posted would not have a fiscal impact. The fiscal impact resulting from setting a county auditor's salary higher than the current limit would depend on salary amounts approved by the county commissioners courts. It is anticipated that the commissioners courts would not approve compensation and allowances that would create a fiscal burden for the county.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JK, DLBa
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