A MERIT PAY PLAN SHELVED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY

More time would be needed to craft standards for such a system, county officials say.

Williamson County’s approximately 550 law enforcement personnel will continue receiving guaranteed annual raises of between 2 and 2.25 percent as calls for moving them to a merit-based system have died.

Mindful of a ticking clock for adopting the county budget, County Judge Dan Gattis called the issue at last week’s meeting.

But his motion for implementing the system died for lack of a second.

Addressing commissioners, County Attorney Dee Hobbs and Williamson County Deputies Association President Brian Johns each said more time would be needed to develop standards and procedures if patrol deputies, criminal investigators and jailers were to be moved to the new pay system.

“The elected officials who are going to supervise every one of those folks, I haven’t heard any of them say go do it,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long of Cedar Park said.

Elected officials responsible for implementing merit pay would have included four constables, plus the district attorney and county attorney. However, the lion’s share of the 550 personnel would come under Sheriff Robert Chody’s direction. In June, Chody told commissioners he thinks the issue needs more study.

About 1,100 county employees are eligible for average merit-based pay raises of 3 percent.

Putting all employees on the merit system would have added about $1 million to the budget, Gattis said.

“I feel sorry for you all,” Gattis said after his motion died. “I think you just took a pay cut.”

Budget Officer Ashlie Koenig and Human Resources Director Tara Raymore said they needed a decision from commissioners — if not at last week’s meeting, then soon — to keep the budget calendar on schedule. Commissioners are slated to adopt the fiscal 2018 budget Aug. 29. The county’s new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.

“I think it is dead in the water, for now,” Koenig said of merit pay for law enforcement. “If we need to take another six to eight months, it will be back in budget (discussions) next year.”

Some in law enforcement had expressed concern that evaluations for merit pay would cause more administrative work. Raymore said county policy calls for elected officials and department heads to do employee evaluations, regardless of the pay system.

But she and Koenig said there is no enforcement mechanism in place to ensure that occurs.