EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso County commissioners are weighing how much to raise pay for county employees as the cost of living continues to climb, but they have not agreed on what the increase should be.<\/p>\n
The county\u2019s recommended budget currently includes a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, and a 2.5% increase for employees on a step plan, meaning workers who receive set pay increases based on years of service or performance.<\/p>\n
Commissioners asked county staff to price out higher COLA options. <\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: El Paso County hospital district proposes lower tax rate; many homeowners may pay more<\/a><\/p>\n Staff said a 3.25% COLA would bring the county\u2019s lowest wage to about $16 an hour and would cost about $1.7 million more than what is currently included in the budget.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we need to take that into account every every budget cycle that we need to be paying people as close to a living wage as possible,\u201d said Commissioner David Stout, who represents Central and South Central El Paso.<\/p>\n Commissioner Jackie Arroyo Butler, who represents East El Paso, said she was hesitant to commit to an increase without more financial details.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not comfortable voting on any numbers that we don\u2019t know what the impact to to our budget or tax rate are going to be,\u201d Arroyo Butler said.<\/p>\n The commissioners court did not take action on a general employee COLA. <\/p>\n However, commissioners did approve a 4% increase for employees not on a step plan. <\/p>\n That increase also applies to certain elected officials, but the county judge and commissioners voted to exclude themselves. <\/p>\n The motion passed 3-2.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the court limiting its own salary and not raising its own salary goes a long way to show the public that we really are still trying to make as many reductions as we possibly can,\u201d said Commissioner Iliana Holguin, who represents East El Paso and the Lower Valley.<\/p>\n Commissioner Sergio Coronado, who represents West and Northeast El Paso, said elected officials should be included in the raises.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving all elected officials included in these small raises regularly along with all of their employees is the way to go forward because that takes it politics out of the situation,\u201d Coronado said.<\/p>\n Commissioners asked staff to return with additional COLA options and information on how those choices would affect the tax rate and county reserves. <\/p>\n The county\u2019s new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: El Paso leaders unveil FY 2027 budget proposal, including possible property tax rate hike<\/a><\/p>\n