![\"Ronnie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ronnie_Keister_FB_224x352.jpg\")
Ronnie Keister. Credit: Facebook.<\/p>\nA successful salary grievance by Lubbock County Tax Assessor-Collector Ronnie Keister rekindled an ongoing rift on the Commissioners Court.<\/p>\n
The court previously rejected raises in this budget cycle for elected officials. But in an August 24 meeting, the court voted 4 \u2013 1 to grant Keister\u2019s grievance and raise his salary from roughly $91,000 to $110,000 \u2014 an increase of about 20 percent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s fair,\u201d said Michael Dalby, commissioner for Precinct 1 in Southwest Lubbock County.<\/p>\n
Dalby was the lone \u2018no\u2019 vote \u2013 saying, \u201cWhy did you vote to deny a 2 percent increase in pay raise for elected officials? But yet we come in and we vote to approve almost a 20 percent pay increase to one elected official.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Ronnie Keister does a phenomenal job. \u2026 He\u2019s a personal friend of mine off the clock,\u201d Dalby said.<\/p>\n
But Dalby said he\u2019s voted \u2018no\u2019 every time he\u2019s been asked to consider a pay raise for elected officials since taking office in January 2025. That included a proposed across-the-board pay raise for elected officials in both 2025 (which passed) and 2026 (which did not pass), along with salary grievances for Keister, Sheriff Kelly Rowe and Justice of the Peace Susan Rowley.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of our elected officials probably deserve a raise, and our employees certainly deserve a raise. But I just don\u2019t think it\u2019s right to give one [without the others],\u201d Dalby said.<\/p>\n
The reason for \u2018yes\u2019 and Keister\u2019s reaction<\/p>\n
State law creates a county grievance process for elected officials who think their salaries are too low.<\/p>\n
Curtis Parrish, county judge, introduced the issue by saying the county\u2019s grievance committee voted 8 \u2013 1 in favor of Keister\u2019s increased salary in mid-August.<\/p>\n
Parrish told commissioners, \u201cKeister had 10 minutes to make his presentation to the committee. He did very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ronnie Keister. Credit: Facebook.<\/p>\n
Keister told LubbockLights.com, \u201cI felt it was time. I hadn\u2019t done a grievance on my salary since I\u2019d been elected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keister was first elected nearly 18 years ago in November 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have taken on additional tasks,\u201d Keister said \u2013 explaining that his office had to collect a venue tax for the proposed Expo Center and coordinate new regulations of local game rooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DMV thinks enough of us that we\u2019re currently a pilot county for two projects,\u201d Keister said.<\/p>\n
One of them is a complete overhaul of how vehicles are registered in Texas.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight after COVID in 2021, we were given an award by the Independent Auto Dealers Association that they don\u2019t usually give to tax assessors,\u201d Keister said.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s tasked with overseeing 50 or more employees, he said.<\/p>\n
Cary Shaw, commissioner for Precinct 3 in Northeast Lubbock County, reminded fellow commissioners that Keister took the initiative to process electric vehicles statewide \u2013 bringing millions of dollars to Lubbock County.<\/p>\n
Jason Corley, commissioner for Precinct 2 in Southeast Lubbock County, agreed, saying, \u201cI think we\u2019re lucky to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dalby responded, \u201c100 percent agree with everything you said!\u201d<\/p>\n
Keister reacted to Dalby, saying, \u201cI understand his viewpoint and why he\u2019s saying what he\u2019s saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priority is the employees<\/p>\n
Dalby\u2019s priority is a pay raise for employees \u2013 not elected officials.<\/p>\n
There seems to be a consensus for the employee pay raise \u2013 a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). But Dalby is still concerned even at this stage of the budget negotiations.<\/p>\n
He told other commissioners in the August 24 meeting, \u201c[We] still really don\u2019t have a clear picture on COLAs for employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Corley and Shaw both made public statements in August saying COLA is a high priority.<\/p>\n
Rackler is committed to a 3.5 percent COLA, saying, \u201cI had denied an elected official pay raise and said we will take care of our employees this year with a COLA before we take care of our elected officials, because our elected officials got a pay raise last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dalby told LubbockLights.com, \u201cI voted five \u2018no\u2019 votes the past two years because, in my mind, that\u2019s how important funding cost-of-living adjustments to the employees is to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to COLA, Corley, Rackler and Shaw are publicly committed to a no-new-revenue tax rate.<\/p>\n
Dalby is more cautious.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re passing a no-new-revenue rate with increased spending in some areas. There\u2019s a fundamental problem with that,\u201d Dalby said.<\/p>\n
Dalby is opposed if the budget requires, for example, spending $8 million from reserves, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s an example of poor leadership \u2013 and saying one thing and doing another,\u201d Dalby said.<\/p>\n
The squabble<\/p>\n
Parrish made the motion to grant Keister\u2019s salary grievance. Corley gave the second.<\/p>\n
Even though both supported Keister\u2019s higher pay, they had a tense back-and-forth on the dais.<\/p>\n
Parrish pushed Corley for a reason to support Keister\u2019s pay raise but not any other elected official.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich offices would qualify for bringing in money income in order to justify a salary increase? \u2026 I\u2019m trying to get a public policy from this dais as to what justifies a salary increase,\u201d Parrish said.<\/p>\n
Was it just a matter of bringing more money to the county?<\/p>\n
Corley answered, \u201cRonnie [Keister] went through the process. \u2026 The [grievance] committee disagreed with my assessment on it, but I\u2019ll accept their assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parrish accused Corley of talking in circles.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s my particular problem. We talk about we need good employees, including we need good elected officials,\u201d Parrish said.<\/p>\n
Corley accused Parrish of talking about a separate subject that was not on the meeting agenda \u2013 pay raises for all elected officials versus the salary grievance for Keister.<\/p>\n
Corley said, \u201cBefore you start your monologue, how long is this going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n
Parrish said, \u201cGo get a drink of water. But please don\u2019t interrupt me. We extend this courtesy of each other now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortly after that, Rackler asked if the court could go ahead and vote.<\/p>\n
LubbockLights.com covered several instances of budget tension in the last three years. Use the links below to see our continuing coverage. <\/p>\n
\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n
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