Denton County's elected officials would receive salary increases of roughly 5% under a proposal the Commissioners Court will vote on Sept. 22.
The county posted the salary notice on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as required by the Texas Local Government Code. The raises are part of the broader FY 2027 budget package, which totals just under $495 million, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported.
County Sheriff would see the largest dollar increase among countywide officials, going from $204,160 to $214,491, a jump of $10,331. County Judge Andy Eads' salary would rise $9,951, from $198,162 to $208,113. Each of the four county commissioners would go from $164,141 to $172,447. Their $7,079 allowances stay the same.
Other proposed raises include:
- County Clerk: $162,121 to $170,324 (with a $6,817 allowance, unchanged)
- District Clerk: $162,121 to $170,324 (with a $3,146 allowance, unchanged)
- Tax Assessor/Collector: $164,141 to $172,447
- County Treasurer: $154,413 to $162,227 (with a $3,146 allowance, unchanged)
- Justices of the Peace (six positions): $136,063 to $142,948
- Constables (six positions): $136,290 to $143,186
- Criminal District Attorney (county supplement): $123,567 to $129,819. The DA also receives a state salary based on years of service.
Some County Court at Law and Probate Court judges would see larger jumps tied to Senate Bill 293, passed during the 89th Legislature. That law changed how minimum and maximum pay rates are calculated for certain judicial positions. One judge would move from $235,000 to $242,875. Three others would go from $217,500 to $230,625.
District judges' $25,000 county supplement stays unchanged.
The salary vote is part of a Sept. 22 Commissioners Court session that also includes a public hearing on the proposed county budget. That budget would raise total property taxes by $10,661,084, or 3.24%, over the current year. The increase comes from new property added to the tax roll, not a rate hike. The proposed tax rate of $0.18 per $100 valuation is actually a penny lower than the current $0.19 rate, as we reported Sept. 8.
In an Aug. 14 column for the Cross Timbers Gazette, Eads wrote that the Commissioners Court remains "focused on the bottom line — ensuring our taxpayers receive the lowest possible property tax rate."
The hearing begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Commissioners Courtroom on the third floor of the Denton County Administrative Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Drive in Denton. A copy of the proposed budget will be posted at dentoncounty.gov on Thursday, Sept. 17. Residents can offer written and oral comments at the hearing.
