[1. Call Meeting to Order]
[00:00:08]
TO OUR SALARY GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE HEARING THIS MORNING. UNDER SECTION FIVE, 51 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING OF THE SAN PATRICIO COUNTY GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, AUGUST THE 14TH, 2026 AT 10 A.M. IN THE SAN PATRICIO COUNTY ADMINISTRATION ANNEX AT 1301 EAST SEVENTH STREET, SUITE C COMMISSIONERS COURTROOM, AT WHICH TIME THE FOLLOWING WILL BE DISCUSSED, CONSIDERED AND ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. FIRST WE NEED TO SEE IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE START THE OFFICIAL MEETING? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? LAST CHANCE. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. SEEING AND HEARING. NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[3. Consideration, determination, and action on Salary Grievance for Elected Official.]
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM 2.3, WHICH IS CONSIDERATION, DETERMINATION AND ACTION ON SALARY GRIEVANCE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE HAVE TWO THIS MORNING. FIRST ONE WILL BE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT TWO, TOM YARDLEY. THEN THE SECOND ONE WILL BE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT THREE, RUBEN GONZALEZ. SO, MR. YARDLEY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH YOU. THANK YOU.GOOD MORNING. SALARY GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. I AM TOM YARDLEY, COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR PRECINCT TWO. SO I DID GIVE A HAND OUT. BUT BEFORE I KIND OF GO INTO THE DETAILS ON THAT, I'D LIKE TO GIVE JUST A LITTLE HISTORY OF KIND OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY. SO I'M REALLY HERE SEEKING PARITY IN PAY FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FOUR ELECTED COUNTY WIDE SEATS. SO I'LL KIND OF DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW WE GOT HERE. WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE COURT, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WERE PAID THE SAME AMOUNT AND THE FOUR COUNTYWIDE SEATS, WHICH IS DISTRICT CLERK, COUNTY CLERK, TREASURER AND TAX ASSESSOR, COLLECTOR ALL GOT THE SAME PAY. AND IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS. IT WAS THAT WAY ACTUALLY, FOR DECADES IN OUR COUNTY, MOST OTHER COUNTIES IN TEXAS, ALL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RECEIVE THE SAME PAY. SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, AFTER I WAS ON THE COURT, TWO COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE NO LONGER ON THE COURT CAME TO THE SALARY AGREEMENTS COMMITTEE, BOTH ASKING FOR DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF INCREASE IN PAY. FOR WHATEVER REASONS THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE JUSTIFIED, THAT WAS APPROVED. AND FROM THAT DAY ON, WE'VE BEEN OUT OF KILTER. SO WE ATTEMPTED TO SOLVE THAT THE FOLLOWING YEAR BY DECREASING THEIR PAY TO MAKE US ALL EVEN AGAIN, THAT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, THEN THE FOUR COUNTY WIDE POSITIONS CAME TO THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GETTING PAID THE SAME AS THE LOWEST PAID COMMISSIONER. WE WANT TO GET PAID THE SAME AS THE HIGHEST PAID COMMISSIONER, AND RIGHTFULLY SO. THE SALARY GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE APPROVED THAT. SO THAT LEFT US STILL A DISPARITY IN PAY AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS. SO WE HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER WHO'S PAID THE TOP AMOUNT, WHICH IS THE SAME AS OUR FOUR COUNTY WIDE SEATS, AND THEN ANOTHER COMMISSIONER SLIGHTLY DOWN, AND THEN THE TWO OF US AT THE BOTTOM. SO MY GOAL TODAY IS REALLY NOT HERE JUST FOR MYSELF TO GET A PAY RAISE. MY GOAL REALLY IS TO CREATE EQUAL PAY AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS. AND REALLY MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, SOMEDAY I WILL NOT BE IN OFFICE ANYMORE. AND WHOEVER COMES IN BEHIND ME, I'D REALLY HATE TO LEAVE OFFICE AND HAVE THEM COME IN TO A SEAT THAT'S GETTING PAID LESS SIMPLY BY BECAUSE OF THE DISTRICT THAT THEY REPRESENT. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SHEET I HANDED OUT. AND I HAD TO MAKE SOME LAST MINUTE CHANGES, BECAUSE I DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE OUR COLA INCREASE INTO EFFECT. SO LET ME DESCRIBE THAT A LITTLE BIT. ORIGINALLY IN THAT SHEET WAS WHAT WE'RE GETTING PAID FOR 2026. AND YOU SEE THE SAME WAS THERE FOR 2027 BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A PAY RAISE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS. SEPARATE FROM THAT, WE DO GET A COST OF LIVING INCREASE. AND LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE IT WAS WE AGREED AND APPROVED A 4.5% COLA. SO THE RED INK ON THERE IS MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THAT COLA. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEN WE'LL STILL BE OUT OF WHACK. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SHEET. IF YOU LOOK AT COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT ONE, AFTER THE COLA INCREASE, HE'LL BE RECEIVING $99,021. AND IF YOU LOOK AT PRECINCTS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR, WE ARE SOMEWHERE BELOW THAT. SO EVEN WITH THE RED INK FOR COLA CHANGES, PRECINCT TWO, I'D BE GETTING 945 20, WHICH IS THE SAME AS PRECINCT FOUR. AND THEN PRECINCT THREE IS KIND OF IN BETWEEN. THEY'RE AT 97, 221.
[00:05:02]
AND IF YOU LOOK OFF ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE, THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT PRECINCTS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR WOULD NEED TO BE INCREASED TO PUT US BACK EQUAL WITH PRECINCT ONE AND EQUAL WITH THE FOUR COUNTY WIDE POSITIONS. SO HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE. IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING, PARTICULARLY WITH THE COLA. I CAN'T YOU KNOW. SO TODAY MR. GONZALEZ AND I ARE HERE.OBVIOUSLY COMMISSIONER GILLESPIE IS ALSO IN THIS SAME PREDICAMENT. HE CHOSE NOT TO COME TODAY. AND I KIND OF UNDERSTAND HIS FEELINGS. I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE TODAY EITHER. AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HIM. BUT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I REALLY DON'T LIKE COMING TO ASK FOR A PAY INCREASE. THAT'S NOT KIND OF IN MY DNA. SO THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS I'M REALLY ASKING FOR PARITY IN PAY. AND THAT WAY, WHEN WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, WHOEVER IS IN OUR SEATS WILL BE GETTING PAID THE SAME AMOUNT OF PAY. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH PRECINCT THEY'RE REPRESENTING. WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS A COUPLE OTHER WAYS. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE SALARY SALARY GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE IS A MECHANISM IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS.
WE WE ACTUALLY, AS A COURT, WE DECIDED THAT, YES, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE US ALL PAID THE SAME, BUT IT TURNED OUT WE COULD NOT ACTUALLY TAKE THAT ACTION IN COURT TO FIX THAT. SO HERE WE ARE TODAY TO ADDRESS THAT. SO I GUESS I, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE COMMITTEE APPROVE THE RECORD, REQUESTED ADJUSTMENTS, AND BRING ALL FOUR COMMISSIONERS TO A SALARY OF $99,021 FOR 2027. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. AND WITH THAT JUDGE, I'M DONE. AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT. OTHERWISE, WE'LL LET. MR. GONZALEZ, I HAVE A QUESTION TO MR. YARDLEY. WELL, I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF. I'M COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, PRECINCT THREE. I RUN 68% OF THE COUNTY. I'VE GOT THE LARGEST PRECINCT, LIKE I SAID. AND WE'RE NOT HERE ABOUT WHO DOES THE MOST OR WHO'S GOT THE LEAST OR ANYTHING. WE'RE HERE FOR PARITY PAY. WE WANT TO BE EQUAL. AND LIKE I SAID, WHEN WE'RE NOT HERE ANYMORE, THE NEXT PERSON COME IN THAT WAY. WE'RE NOT SO UNBALANCED UP HERE. I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE ANY THINGS WITH THE NUMBERS AND STUFF, BUT BASICALLY THE SAME THING JUST HERE FOR EQUAL PAY. THANK YOU.
QUESTIONS OF MR. GONZALEZ. OKAY, OKAY. WE WILL TAKE FOR THE COMMITTEE. WE WILL TAKE THESE INDIVIDUAL ACTION ON EACH ONE OF THEM. BUT LET ME READ WHAT WE WILL HAVE BEFORE WE TAKE THAT ACTION. OKAY. WE'VE ALREADY HAD THE HEARING. SO AFTER WE COME TO A VOTE, SIX OR MORE OF THIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO VOTE TO RECOMMEND AN INCREASE IN THE OFFICER'S SALARY OR PERSONAL EXPENSES, THE COMMITTEE SHALL SUBMIT THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN WRITING, AND WE WILL HAVE THAT. WE'VE GOT A PAGE HERE THAT YOU WILL BE SIGNING. IF WE GET SIX OR MORE SIGNATURES. IF 6 TO 8 OF THESE MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THIS COMMITTEE VOTE TO RECOMMEND THE INCREASES, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT SHALL CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATION AT ITS NEXT MEETING, WHICH WILL BE NEXT TUESDAY, PROBABLY ON MONDAY. IF ALL NINE OF THIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS RECOMMEND THE INCREASE AND SIGN THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WILL PASS IT AROUND. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT SHALL INCLUDE THE INCREASE THAT TAKES EFFECT AT THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR, SO IT WILL BE AUTOMATIC IF ALL OF Y'ALL DECIDE TO RECOMMEND THE INCREASE, IT BECOMES AN AUTOMATIC INCREASE. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND GET A VOTE FOR MR. YARDLEY'S RECOMMENDATION. WHERE'S I PUT HIS PAPER? OH, WELL, YOU HAVE THE PAPER FOR ME. YOU HAVE THE TALLY SHEET. OKAY. OKAY. TAMARA COCHRAN MAY IS NOT HERE WITH US, SO SHE'S NOT PRESENT. I WILL LIST HER THAT DISTRICT CLERK, HEATHER MARKS. YAY! TAX ASSESSOR. COLLECTOR. MARCY THORMAHLEN. YES. OKAY. AND YOU VOTED. YAY! YAY! SORRY. YAY! OKAY, I'LL TURN IT OVER HERE. HEATHER. YAY! MARCY A OKAY, THEN WE HAVE. MISS BOSTIC. YES.
[00:10:04]
OKAY, THEN WE HAVE MISS SHUHART. MISS ALANIS. YES, YES, YES. OKAY. SURE. FOR VERA. YES. OKAY.MISS GARCIA. YES. OKAY. MR. DARNELL. YES. YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT ONE IS EIGHT IN FAVOR. OKAY. FOR MR. YARDLEY AND NONE AGAINST NAYS. OKAY. OKAY. NOW WE GO TO MR. GONZALES. WE'LL DO THE SAME THING. OKAY? MISS MAY IS ABSENT. MISS MARKS. YES. MR. ALIEN, YES.
MISS BOSTICK, YES. SWEETHEART. YES. MISS GONZALEZ. YES. RIVERA. YES, MISS. GARCIA. YES. AND MR. DARNELL. YES. OKAY. THAT ONE ALSO IS EIGHT YESES AND NONE AGAINST. OKAY, SO WITH MISS, THE ONE VOTE THAT'S ABSENT, WE DO HAVE THE EIGHT VOTES. SO THIS WILL GO TO THE COMMISSIONERS COURT FOR ACTION AND CONSIDERATION AT OUR NEXT MEETING. JUDGE, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, SIR. I KNOW MR. GILLESPIE IS NOT HERE. AND IF WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ADJUST HIS SALARY AS WELL, THEN WE'RE STILL KIND OF IN THE SAME DILEMMA OF ONE PRECINCT WILL NOW BE OUT OF WHACK. I WILL DO IS I'M GOING TO GET WITH MR. GILLESPIE. AND WHEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE NEXT YEAR BEFORE WE DO THE 28 BUDGET, I'LL SEE IF HE WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND WE CAN VOTE. THE APPROVAL, THE INCREASE IN ON PAPER, AND THEN LET HIM TAKE WHATEVER SALARY HE WANTS TO OFF OF THAT. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE BEST WAY TO DO IT. OKAY. AND STUFF, BECAUSE HE HAS TO BE PRESENT HERE THIS MORNING TO PRESENT IT.
I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T REQUEST THE HEARING EITHER. MR. KIESCHNICK. IS THAT WILL THAT WORK FOR US? YEAH, WE'LL LOOK AND SEE. I THINK HE COULD PROBABLY REQUEST AN INCREASE IN HIS BUDGET. AND THEN WHENEVER WE GO INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS AS BUDGET OFFICER, YOU CAN SAY YAY OR NAY, AND THEN WE CAN INCLUDE THAT INCREASE WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIAL PROPOSAL. BUT I'LL CHECK TO BE SURE ON THAT. OKAY. OKAY. SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET EVERYBODY ON AN EQUAL PAGE. AND IF HE WANTS IT, HE DOES IT RIGHT. AND I UNDERSTAND HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE. BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER GILLESPIE WILL NOT BE IN THAT SEAT FOREVER AND SOMEBODY WILL BE COMING IN AFTER HIM. WE NEED TO HAVE THE PARITY, NEED TO HAVE IT FIXED. WHOEVER COMES IN THERE, IT'S ALL EQUAL. THANK YOU. STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT EIGHT VOTES. I'M GOING TO PASS.
THIS SHEET AROUND. I'LL START IT ON ONE OF THE ENDS. YEAH WE'LL START DOWN THERE THIS TIME. BYE BYE. BYE. YOUR NAME. OKAY. WE'LL START THIS ONE THAT WAY. OKAY. WHILE Y'ALL ARE SIGNING THIS, I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING IN AND BEING PART OF THIS. IT WAS KIND OF QUICK THIS MORNING. THIS IS NORMALLY NOT NORMALLY AS QUICK AS WE GET THROUGH THESE MEETINGS. SOMETIMES THEY GO 3 OR 4 HOURS WORTH, YOU KNOW, BUT WE JUST HAD TWO OF THEM THIS MORNING. SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING AND BEING PART OF OUR COUNTY BUSINESS FOR US AND.
LEGAL ATTORNEY HERE. AFTER A WHILE, THIS MAY SHOWS UP I DON'T KNOW. THAT NOW. NOW. YEAH.
YEAH. YOU WANTED THAT ONE OR YOU WANT TO FIND THAT ONE FIRST. NO I DON'T. YOU DON'T SIGN IT.
[00:15:05]
NO, I DON'T SIGN THEM. I'M JUST HERE TO GET Y'ALL TO DO ALL THE PAPERWORK. AND THEN WE'LL PASS IT OVER TO MISS GONZALEZ, BECAUSE OTHERWISE SHE'LL KEEP THEM.YEAH, WE GOT ONE COMING DOWN THIS WAY, AND THEN THAT ONE SHOULD BE COMPLETED, EXCEPT FOR MISS MAY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT, I GUESS, MR. ABSENT. AND UNTIL I BANG THE GAVEL HERE IN A MINUTE. OKAY. ONCE THE GAVEL IS OVER WITH, SHE'S NOT PART OF THE COMMITTEE, I GUESS STUFF. SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING IN. WE THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EVERYTHING. WE THANK YOU. SO IT'S 1015. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THE SALARY GRIEVANCE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.